Artturi Lehkonen Bio
Artturi Aleksanteri Lehkonen, born on 4 July 1995, is a Finnish professional ice hockey player who plays as a left winger for the Colorado Avalanche of the National Hockey League (NHL). Standing 5 feet 11 inches tall and weighing 178 pounds, he is widely recognized as a defensively responsible forward with a knack for scoring in the biggest moments. Lehkonen first came to international attention by scoring series-winning overtime goals in back-to-back Stanley Cup semifinals, a feat that cemented his reputation as a clutch playoff performer. He is best known for winning the Stanley Cup with the Avalanche in 2022, when he scored the championship-clinching goal in game six of the Final.
Drafted 55th overall by the Montreal Canadiens in 2013, Lehkonen spent the opening chapter of his NHL career in Montreal before a March 2022 trade sent him to Colorado. He has since become a key contributor for the Avalanche and a dependable presence on both ends of the ice.
Early Life and Background
Artturi Aleksanteri Lehkonen was born on 4 July 1995 in Piikkiö, Finland, and grew up in the nearby city of Turku. From an early age, he was surrounded by hockey, with the sport woven into the rhythm of daily life in his household. He developed his skills in the youth system of TuTo before progressing to TPS, one of the most respected development programs in Finnish hockey.
Hockey was not simply a hobby in the Lehkonen family. His father, Ismo Lehkonen, is a former professional hockey player and coach, and that background gave Artturi an early and thorough grounding in the demands of the game. Ismo later worked as a hockey commentator for Yle, the Finnish national broadcaster, often discussing his son’s career on the air.
Path to Hockey
Lehkonen made his professional debut with TPS during the 2011–12 Liiga season, logging his first minutes in Finland’s top flight as a teenager. The following year, he moved to fellow Liiga club KalPa, where he continued his development and sharpened the two-way game that would later define his NHL career.
In March 2014, Lehkonen left KalPa to sign a two-year contract with Frölunda HC of the Swedish Hockey League. His second season in Sweden, 2015–16, proved transformative. He recorded 16 goals and 17 assists in 49 regular-season games, then exploded in the playoffs with a league-best 19 points to lead Frölunda to the SHL championship. He also contributed 12 points in 13 games as Frölunda won the Champions Hockey League that same season, establishing himself as one of the top young players in Europe.
Artturi Lehkonen Career
Early Career (2011–2016)
Lehkonen’s earliest professional seasons in Finland gave him steady exposure to grown men at a young age. Playing for TPS and then KalPa in the Liiga, he learned the responsibilities of a complete, defensively aware winger. His late-season move to Frölunda HC in 2014 marked a significant step up in competition, pitting him against some of the best professionals in Scandinavia.
By the end of his second year with Frölunda, Lehkonen had proven he was ready for the NHL. He had captured a Swedish Hockey League title, set a new Frölunda single-playoff points record, and added a Champions Hockey League crown to his résumé.
Montreal Canadiens Era (2016–2022)
Lehkonen signed a three-year entry-level contract with the Montreal Canadiens on 8 May 2016. In his debut NHL season, he scored 18 goals and added 10 assists across 73 games, an impressive start for a 21-year-old. He followed that with 12 goals and 9 assists the next year, and opened the 2018–19 campaign by scoring the Canadiens’ first goal of the season in a 3–2 overtime loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs. In the final season of his entry-level deal, he set a career high with 31 points, earning a two-year, $4.8 million contract extension on 11 July 2019.
The pandemic-shortened 2020–21 season was quieter statistically, with seven goals and six assists, but it became the most memorable stretch of his Canadiens tenure. Montreal squeaked into the 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs as the final wildcard team and began a stunning run, upsetting the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Winnipeg Jets. On 24 June 2021, Lehkonen scored the series-clinching overtime goal in game six of the semifinals against the Vegas Golden Knights, sending Montreal to its first Stanley Cup Final since 1993. The goal was later described as the biggest for the Canadiens in nearly 30 years. After a Final loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning, he re-signed with Montreal on a one-year, $2.3 million deal.
The 2021–22 season was historically poor for the Canadiens, culminating in the dismissal of longtime general manager Marc Bergevin. Even as the team struggled, Lehkonen’s defensive play drew consistent praise, and his name appeared frequently in trade rumors as the organization moved toward a rebuild.
Colorado Avalanche Era (2022–Present)
On 21 March 2022, the Canadiens traded Lehkonen to the Colorado Avalanche in exchange for defenseman Justin Barron and a 2024 second-round pick. Visa issues delayed his debut, but he eventually suited up for 16 regular-season games with Colorado, adding 6 goals and 3 assists to set new career highs in goals (19) and points (38) for the full year. He quickly became one of the most celebrated trade-deadline additions of that postseason.
The Avalanche swept the Nashville Predators in the first round, eliminated the St. Louis Blues in six games, and then faced the Edmonton Oilers in the Western Conference Final. In game four of that series, Lehkonen scored the series-clinching overtime goal, lifting Colorado to the Stanley Cup Final for the second consecutive year and earning the Clarence S. Campbell Bowl. He became the first NHL player to score a series-clinching overtime goal in consecutive playoff years since Toronto Maple Leafs legend Gordie Drillon in 1938 and 1939. In game six of the Stanley Cup Final, Lehkonen scored the championship-clinching goal to deliver the Avalanche their first title since 2001.
Driving Style and Strengths
Lehkonen is celebrated as one of the NHL’s most reliable two-way forwards. He excels at neutralizing top opposing scorers, blocking passing lanes, and generating offense through intelligent, low-risk decisions. His speed, hockey IQ, and willingness to play in all situations make him a favourite of coaching staffs.
Notable Events and Milestones
Beyond his pair of overtime semifinal winners, Lehkonen matched a piece of NHL history by becoming the first player since Gordie Drillon in 1938 and 1939 to score a series-clinching overtime goal in back-to-back playoff years. He also delivered the Stanley Cup-clinching goal for the Avalanche in 2022.
Artturi Lehkonen Career Wins
Lehkonen’s career has been defined by team success on multiple continents. He has captured major professional championships in three different leagues and earned international recognition with Finland.
NHL and Playoff Highlights
Lehkonen won the Stanley Cup with the Colorado Avalanche in 2022, scoring the series-clinching goal in game six of the Final against the Tampa Bay Lightning. He also helped lead the Avalanche to the Clarence S. Campbell Bowl as Western Conference champions that same spring.
Other Wins and Performances
Before crossing the Atlantic, Lehkonen won the Swedish Hockey League championship with Frölunda HC in 2015–16 and added a Champions Hockey League title in the same campaign. He also represented Finland at the 2026 Winter Olympics, where he won a bronze medal, after debuting for the senior national team during the 2015–16 Euro Hockey Tour and previously earning medals at the U18 and U20 world championships.
Artturi Lehkonen Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Hockey runs deep in the Lehkonen family. His father, Ismo Lehkonen, is a former professional hockey player and coach who later transitioned into sports media as a hockey commentator for Yle. Ismo was on hand at Amalie Arena in 2022 to call his son’s Stanley Cup-clinching goal.
Personal Life
Off the ice, Lehkonen is a noted supporter of Arsenal F.C. of the English Premier League, reflecting his interest in global football alongside his commitments to hockey.
2025 Season Performance
Entering the 2025 season, Lehkonen remained a steady contributor for the Colorado Avalanche, valued for his defensive reliability and his scoring touch in key moments. The Avalanche continued to build around their core of stars, and Lehkonen’s ability to play in all situations kept him firmly in the team’s top-six forward group.
Throughout the 2025 campaign, Lehkonen’s two-way play remained a constant, with timely goals and disciplined defensive zone coverage helping Colorado push for another deep playoff run. His history of performing on hockey’s biggest stages ensured that he was again a player opponents had to game-plan against.
Looking ahead, Lehkonen’s combination of speed, hockey sense, and championship experience positions him as a key piece of Colorado’s pursuit of another Stanley Cup. With his track record of delivering in high-leverage moments, he remains one of the most trusted wingers in the Avalanche lineup.
