Patrick Williamstheahl.com writer
If you play hockey in June, your season is a long season.
And if you still recovered from bilateral hip surgery two years ago, the road will feel longer.
“I feel like when I started in Pittsburgh (October) it was like a few years ago.” JessePuljujärvi. “But it’s still the same season.”
In June 2023, Puljujärvi underwent major surgery on both hips and underwent a long-term recovery period without guarantee.
But hockey can be that fun. Puljujärvi started with the Penguin Organization. As game time declined, Pittsburgh released his release to him and reached a trial deal with the Checkers on February 10 and an NHL deal with his parents, the Florida Panthers in March. Now, he is only four wins from lifting the Calder Cup.
“I’m really happy where I am,” Puljujärvi said. “I’m so happy to be part of this team. We have a really nice team here with the guys.”
The 27-year-old Puljujärvi’s 387-game NHL career has been a winding journey since the Edmonton Oilers picked him fourth in the 2016 NHL draft. That same year, he broke into the NHL with Edmonton, playing 28 games while also separating time from Bakersfield’s Condors. He ended up sticking with Edmonton full-time. Then the injury began to develop. His 2018-19 season ended with arthroscopic hip surgery, which was undoubtedly a problem for someone who was only 20 years old at the time. He returned to Finland to join the Liga club Kärpätoulu for the 2019-20 campaign before returning to the Oilers. But his production dropped and traded to the Carolina Hurricane in February 2023. This opportunity didn’t go anywhere.
His career was completely stopped when he had hip surgery in June 2023. But maybe this is a total medical reset that Puljujärvi needs. He has played 57 regular season games this season – 31 games with the Penguins and Panthers in the NHL, AHL with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and Charlotte, and 26 more games in the AHL – earning eight points for the Checkers in the 12th Calder Cup playoff game.
He mainly focuses on the road?
“My biggest thing is skating,” Puljujärvi explained. “When I was able to skate, good things happened on the ice, so I thought it was all about me skating.”
Puljujärvi has always been a key part of the head coach Geordie KinnearCharlotte’s lineup.
“Honestly, the most important thing as a coach, especially a new player is building trust,” Kinnear said.[We] Relationships need to be established. When I look [Puljujärvi]I think the term “entertainment” is somewhat missing. Obviously, it’s fun when you win. This is a really fun group. And if they’ve never had fun, I’ve never seen a player including myself as the best version. Sometimes we kind of overlooked this. Work hard, but when you have fun parts, you can maximize your skills and become the best version of yourself. ”
Suitable is that it was Puljujärvi who officially sent Checkers to the Calder Cup final. As the performers rose 3-0 in the series, after Game 4 tied in the regulations, Puljujärvi fought through the check, forcing Laval to defensive misunderstandings and then flipped the puck over Jacob Fowler Play with 2:04.
And, in the game against Abbotsford, the Checkers are fun now. On the ice, they won eight straight games and were the first branch ever to reach the final. The Charlotte area offers many good weather and teamwork opportunities for this.
“Everyone is excited,” Puljujärvi said. “We are really looking forward to the hockey drop on Friday.”
During the fifty years in the American Hockey League, Theahl.com writer Patrick Williams currently covers NHL.com and Flosports leagues and is a regular contributor to Siriusxm NHL New Network Radio. He won the AHL’s James H. Ellery Memorial Award for his outstanding league coverage in 2016.
