Joonas Korpisalo Bio
Joonas Korpisalo is a Finnish professional ice hockey player who serves as a goaltender for the Boston Bruins of the National Hockey League (NHL). Standing 6 ft 4 in tall and catching with his left hand, Korpisalo has built a reputation as a technically sound netminder capable of carrying heavy workloads. After being selected 62nd overall by the Columbus Blue Jackets in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft, he developed into a reliable starter before later stints with the Los Angeles Kings and Ottawa Senators. He is also an international medalist with Team Finland.
Over the course of his career, Korpisalo has appeared in regular season, playoff, and Olympic contests, including a memorable modern-era NHL record for saves in a single postseason game. Known for his calm presence in the crease and his ability to rebound from difficult stretches, he continues to contribute as a steady veteran presence in Boston.
Early Life and Background
Joonas Korpisalo was born on 28 April 1994 in Pori, a coastal city in southwestern Finland with a proud tradition of ice hockey. Growing up in Finland, he was immersed in the country’s deep hockey culture from a young age, eventually rising through local and national youth development programs that have produced many of the world’s top goaltenders.
Hockey runs in the Korpisalo family. Joonas is the son of Jari Korpisalo, a former forward who played in the Finnish Liiga, the country’s top professional league. That connection to the professional game helped shape Joonas’s understanding of what it takes to compete at a high level and fueled his ambition to reach the NHL.
As a young goaltender in Finland, Korpisalo developed his size, technique, and positioning in a system that places significant responsibility on netminders from an early age. By the time he reached draft eligibility, he had already demonstrated the kind of composure and athletic ability that NHL scouts look for in a top European prospect.
Path to Professional Hockey
Korpisalo’s path to the NHL began with a strong showing in Finnish junior hockey, where his combination of size, mobility, and calmness in the crease attracted attention from clubs at home and abroad. That development led to his selection by the Columbus Blue Jackets in the third round, 62nd overall, of the 2012 NHL Entry Draft, giving him a clear professional pathway to North America.
Before crossing the Atlantic, Korpisalo sharpened his game in the SM-liiga, Finland’s top professional league. During the 2012–13 season he played for Jokerit, and the following year he suited up for Ilves, gaining valuable minutes against grown men and refining the technical details of his goaltending craft.
On 21 March 2014, the Blue Jackets signed Korpisalo to a three-year, entry-level contract, formally beginning his NHL career. From that point forward, his development became a project the Columbus organization tracked closely, with stints in the American Hockey League supplementing his time in the NHL.
Joonas Korpisalo Career
Early Career with the Blue Jackets (2014–2019)
Korpisalo arrived in the Blue Jackets system in 2014 and spent time splitting duties between the NHL club and the AHL affiliate, gradually adjusting to the smaller ice surface and faster pace of North American hockey. As he adjusted, he showed flashes of the poise and reflexes that had made him a prized draft pick just two years earlier.
During the latter half of the 2016–17 NHL season, Korpisalo established himself as the backup goaltender behind established starter Sergei Bobrovsky. On 9 June 2017, the Blue Jackets rewarded that progress with a two-year contract extension, signaling their belief in his long-term potential as an NHL goaltender.
Columbus Blue Jackets: Becoming a Starter (2019–2023)
When Bobrovsky departed for the Florida Panthers in free agency ahead of the 2019–20 campaign, Korpisalo stepped into the role of starting goaltender for the Blue Jackets. A knee injury suffered in a shootout loss to the Chicago Blackhawks on 29 December 2019 briefly interrupted his season, opening the door for rookie Elvis Merzļikins, but Korpisalo remained firmly in the team’s long-term plans.
On 17 April 2020, he signed a two-year contract extension worth $5.6 million to stay in Columbus. That fall he made his NHL playoff debut on 2 August 2020, recording a 2–0 shutout victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs and becoming the first Blue Jackets goaltender to post a playoff shutout. A week later, on 9 August 2020, he again blanked Toronto 3–0, eliminating the Maple Leafs and clinching a series win for Columbus.
Korpisalo’s playoff performance reached its highest profile moment in Game 1 of the next series, when he set a modern NHL record by making 85 saves despite a 3–2 defeat in quintuple overtime against the Tampa Bay Lightning. That total surpassed the previous modern mark of 73 saves by Kelly Hrudey and ranked second on the all-time postseason list.
Los Angeles Kings (2022–2023)
On 1 March 2023, Korpisalo was traded, along with defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov, to the Los Angeles Kings in exchange for Jonathan Quick, a conditional 2023 first-round pick, and a 2024 third-round pick. The Kings acquired him to take over as their starting goaltender for the stretch run of the regular season.
Korpisalo made an immediate impact in Los Angeles, collecting 7 wins across 11 appearances to close out the regular season on a strong note. In the playoffs, however, he and the Kings were eliminated in the first round, falling in six games to the Edmonton Oilers.
Ottawa Senators (2023–2024)
Following the expiration of his contract with the Kings, Korpisalo reached free agency and signed a five-year, $20 million contract with the Ottawa Senators on 1 July 2023. The deal reflected the Senators’ belief that he could be a long-term solution in goal.
Boston Bruins (2024–Present)
On 24 June 2024, Korpisalo was traded, alongside Mark Kastelic and a 2024 first-round pick, to the Boston Bruins in exchange for goaltender Linus Ullmark. The move gave the Bruins a reliable veteran to pair with Jeremy Swayman heading into the new season.
Initially slated to back up Swayman for the 2024–25 campaign, Korpisalo was thrust into the Opening Night start after Swayman’s contract negotiations kept the young netminder out of training camp. Korpisalo dropped a 6–4 decision to the Florida Panthers in that debut, but soon after earned his first victory in a Bruins sweater, a 5–3 win over the Colorado Avalanche. He later recorded his first shutout as a Bruin on 2 November 2024, stopping the Philadelphia Flyers 3–0, and went on to post career highs with three shutouts on the year. On 11 April 2025, he was named the Bruins’ nominee for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy in recognition of his perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to hockey.
Driving Style and Strengths
At 6 ft 4 in, Korpisalo uses his frame to cover the lower portion of the net while remaining agile enough to handle lateral movement and post-to-post play. His composure under heavy shot volume, refined during his years in Columbus, allows him to maintain technique even in chaotic sequences, while his experience working with multiple organizations has made him adaptable to different defensive systems and goaltending coaches.
Notable Events and Milestones
The signature moment of Korpisalo’s career remains his 85-save performance against the Tampa Bay Lightning in the 2020 Stanley Cup playoffs, a modern NHL record that underscored his endurance and competitive nature. Additional milestones include his back-to-back playoff shutouts of the Toronto Maple Leafs in August 2020, his 2024 trade to the Bruins, and his nomination for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy in 2025.
Joonas Korpisalo Career Wins
Across the NHL regular season, Korpisalo has built a steady track record of victories with the Columbus Blue Jackets, Los Angeles Kings, and Boston Bruins. While exact career win totals vary by stage of the season, his 7 wins in 11 appearances to close the 2022–23 regular season with Los Angeles, and his 11-win contribution to Boston’s 2024–25 campaign, mark the most clearly verified stretches of his recent resume.
Columbus Blue Jackets Highlights
Korpisalo’s most celebrated stretch came during the 2020 Stanley Cup playoffs, where he backstopped the Blue Jackets to a first-round upset of the Toronto Maple Leafs with consecutive shutouts. Although Columbus was eliminated in the next round, his record-setting 85-save performance in a single game cemented his place in NHL postseason history.
Los Angeles Kings Highlights
After arriving in Los Angeles via trade, Korpisalo delivered a strong late-season showing, helping the Kings secure a playoff berth with seven wins in eleven starts. His playoff run ended in the first round against Edmonton, but his regular-season form provided a clear signal that he could handle a starter’s workload.
Boston Bruins Highlights
During the 2024–25 season, Korpisalo stepped in to open the year as Boston’s starter and finished 11–10–3 with a 2.90 goals-against average and a career-high three shutouts across 27 games. His first shutout as a Bruin came on 2 November 2024, in a 3–0 win over the Philadelphia Flyers.
Joonas Korpisalo Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Hockey is woven into the fabric of the Korpisalo family. Joonas’s father, Jari Korpisalo, is a former Liiga forward who competed at the top level of Finnish professional hockey, giving Joonas firsthand insight into the demands and rhythms of a professional career from an early age.
Personal Life
Public details about Korpisalo’s personal life beyond his family and professional career remain limited. He was born and raised in Pori, Finland, and has continued his career in North America since joining the Blue Jackets organization in 2014.
2025 Season Performance
The 2024–25 NHL season represented a significant bounceback chapter for Joonas Korpisalo in a Boston Bruins sweater. After being acquired in the Linus Ullmark trade and thrust into the Opening Night start, he delivered several strong performances behind a Bruins team that was simultaneously negotiating a new contract with starter Jeremy Swayman.
Korpisalo finished the regular season with an 11–10–3 record, a 2.90 goals-against average, and a career-high three shutouts in 27 appearances. His first shutout as a Bruin, a 3–0 win over the Philadelphia Flyers on 2 November 2024, was followed by additional highlight performances that prompted discussion about his potential to challenge Swayman for the starting job.
On 11 April 2025, the Bruins named Korpisalo their nominee for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy, honoring the perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to hockey he displayed throughout the season. Heading into the 2025 portion of the calendar, Korpisalo remains under contract in Boston through 2028, giving the organization a steady veteran presence in goal as it looks to retool around its goaltending tandem.
