Jesse Puljujärvi Bio
Jesse Puljujärvi (born 7 May 1998) is a Finnish professional ice hockey forward currently playing with Genève-Servette HC of the National League. Drafted fourth overall by the Edmonton Oilers in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft, Puljujärvi has played in the NHL primarily for the Oilers and the Carolina Hurricanes. He started his professional career in Finland with Oulun Kärpät before moving to the NHL, where he has represented Finland internationally. Known for his physical play and goal-scoring ability, Puljujärvi has been a notable presence on the ice since his debut.
Early Life and Background
Jesse Puljujärvi was born in Älvkarleby, Sweden, on 7 May 1998. When he was four years old, his family moved to Tornio, Finland, where he began playing ice hockey and bandy at Tornio IHC. Puljujärvi played in the 2011 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament with the Finland Selects youth team. He moved to Oulu alone at the age of 13 and started to play in the local hockey club Kärpät. In the 2011–12 season, he scored a total of 15 goals and 41 points in 30 regular season and qualifying matches in the U16 junior team. In the following season, Puljujärvi moved up to the U18 juniors and scored 51 points, which earned him the Heino Pulli award given to the U18 rookie of the year. Puljujärvi played for the U16 team in the playoffs, who won the Finnish Championship.
In the 2013–14 season, Puljujärvi played mostly in Kärpät U20 juniors. The season was interrupted by a femur fracture, which sidelined Puljujärvi for the first two months of the season. Despite this, he became one of the key players in his team at only 15 years old, scoring 23 points in 18 regular season matches. In the 2014 playoffs, he scored seven goals in 12 matches. At the end of the season, Kärpät won the U20 junior championship silver medal.
Path to Hockey
Puljujärvi signed a three-year SM-liiga contract with Kärpät in May 2014. He played in the first practice match of the 2014–15 season on 7 August 2014, against Kalevan Pallo, scoring one goal and an assist. The next time Puljujärvi appeared in Kärpät’s roster was in the Champions Hockey League match on 5 September, which was his first official professional game. He made his SM-liiga debut in the opening round of the 2014–15 season on 10 September, becoming the youngest player in the team’s history at the age of only 16 years, four months, and three days. He scored his first goal in his third match on 17 September, making him the youngest scorer in Kärpät’s history.
In total, Puljujärvi scored four goals and 11 points in 21 regular-season matches during his rookie season in the SM-liiga. He and his club won the Finnish Championship at the end of the season. In his first full SM-liiga season 2015–16, Puljujärvi scored 13 goals and 28 points in 50 regular season matches and four goals and nine points in ten playoff matches. At the end of the season, he won the SM-liiga bronze with Kärpät.
Jesse Puljujärvi Career
Early Career (2014–2016)
Puljujärvi was drafted fourth overall by the Edmonton Oilers in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft. He signed a three-year rookie contract with the club three weeks later. Puljujärvi made his NHL debut on 12 October 2016, against the Calgary Flames, scoring the opening goal of his NHL career. He played 28 regular season games in the NHL early in the season, scoring one goal and eight points. Puljujärvi remained in a small role with the Oilers and was sent to the AHL affiliate Bakersfield Condors in January 2017. He scored 12 goals and 28 points in 39 regular season games with the Condors.
At the end of the fall 2017 training camp, Puljujärvi was sent to the AHL again. He was promoted back to the NHL on 10 November after an injury to Anton Slepyhev. Puljujärvi played for the Oilers until the end of the 2017–18 season, scoring 12 goals and 20 points in 65 regular season games. In January 2018, the club hired a personal English teacher for him. On 20 January 2018, Puljujärvi registered a career-high three-point game against the Vancouver Canucks.
Breakthrough (2016–2023)
In November 2018, Puljujärvi was sent to the AHL again. After four games there, he was promoted back to the NHL roster. He played 46 regular season games in the NHL during the 2018–19 season, scoring four goals and nine assists, until his season ended in February 2019 with a hip injury that required surgery. For the 2019–2020 season, Puljujärvi returned to Oulun Kärpät’s SM-liiga team with a one-year contract. He led the team in points and goals and shared the top spot in assists with Juho Lammikko.
In October 2020, Puljujärvi signed a one-way, two-year contract with the Edmonton Oilers. He played 16 matches for Kärpät, scoring 12 points, until the Oilers invited him to their organization in December. As a restricted free agent following the 2021–22 season, Puljujärvi re-signed to a one-year, $3 million contract extension on 26 July 2022. Approaching the NHL trade deadline, Puljujärvi was traded by the Oilers to the Carolina Hurricanes on 28 February 2023. He recorded two points in 17 games with Carolina.
Notable Works and Milestones
Puljujärvi helped team Finland win the silver medal at the 2015 IIHF World U18 Championships and played for Finland at the 2016 World Junior Championships, where they won gold. He was declared Best Forward and Most Valuable Player of the tournament.
Jesse Puljujärvi Award Nominations
Throughout his career, Jesse Puljujärvi has received various nominations, particularly during his time in junior hockey and for his international play, showcasing his talent and potential.
Jesse Puljujärvi Awards Won
Jesse Puljujärvi has achieved notable recognition in his career, including winning the President’s trophy of the Finnish Ice Hockey Association for his impressive impact on ice hockey in Finland.
Jesse Puljujärvi Family
Jesse Puljujärvi was born to Finnish parents in Sweden and identifies culturally as Finnish.
Personal Life
In his free time, Puljujärvi enjoys playing ice hockey with neighborhood kids. During his time in Edmonton, he was nicknamed The Bison King after posting an image on social media of himself with a bison behind him.