When Patrik Laine pulls on a Montreal Canadiens jersey for the first time on October 9 during a regular season game against the Toronto Maple Leafs, he will be only the 16th Finnish-born skater in the team’s history.
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In their illustrious history, only 37 players from a Scandinavian country have played for the Canadiens, including 15 from Finland, 21 from Sweden and just one from Norway.
Besides the obvious name at the top of this list, who else were Finnish-born players to wear the jersey for the Canadiens? And what impact did they have during their time with the club?
5. Jesse Ylönen (Scottsdale, AZ)
Jesse Ylönen was born in Scottsdale, AZ, but holds dual citizenship in Finland and the United States. Despite being born in North America, he grew up playing hockey in Finland and represents the Scandinavian country in international hockey, dressing for the U16, U17, U18 and U20 teams.
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A second-round pick (35th overall) in the 2018 Draft, Ylönen played parts of four seasons with the Canadiens, collecting 29 points in 111 games from 2020 to 2024. In July 2024, he left the club to sign as a free agent with the Tampa Bay Lightning.
4. Jesperi Kotkaniemi (Pori, Finland)
It’s safe to say that Jesperi Kotkaniemi will always have a special place in Canadiens history as he was the player who, at the age of 20, was tendered and swiped by a rival GM.
The third overall pick in the 2018 Draft, Kotkaniemi scored 34 points in 79 games as a rookie, never scoring more than 20 points in the two seasons that followed.
While a restricted free agent in the summer of 2021, Kotkaniemi opted to sign with the Carolina Hurricanes, where he has played ever since. He scored a career-high 43 points in 2022-23.
Kotkaniemi ultimately ended up with Carolina as retaliation for a 2019 bid from Montreal for a Finnish player, Sebastian Aho.
3. Joel Armia (Pori, Finland)
Joel Armia is another first-round pick (16th overall in 2011) who made his debut with the Buffalo Sabres in 2014. He made a name for himself with the Winnipeg Jets before becoming a reliable winger for the Canadiens in 2018.
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Over the past six seasons, Armia has scored 66 goals and 120 points in 325 games and played in the Stanley Cup Final with Montreal in 2021. His best NHL season came in 2019-20, when he scored 16 goals and 30 points.
2. Artturi Lehkonen (Piikkio, Finland)
The Canadiens selected Artturi Lehkonen with the 55th pick in the 2013 Draft, and he would go on to play six seasons for the organization.
In 396 games, Lehkonen scored 74 goals and 149 points before being traded to the Colorado Avalanche in March 2022. In Denver, he has blossomed into a 20-goal player and is the second-leading Finnish goal scorer in Montreal history.
1. Saku Koivu (Turku, Finland)
You could argue that Saku Koivu is one of the best Canadiens players never to win the Stanley Cup. A late first-round pick (21st overall) in 1993, he became one of Montreal’s longest-tenured captains, holding the “C” from 1999 to 2009.
With 641 points in 792 games, Koivu is the highest scoring Finnish player in Canadiens history, and his position in this category will remain unmatched for decades to come.
In terms of his place in franchise history, Koivu ranks 10th all-time in points, 28th in goals, and 7th in assists. He is one of only two players in the top 50 on the team with a negative plus/minus total of minus-10.
Despite being an inspiration through his battle with cancer, which resulted in winning the Bill Masterton Trophy in 2002, Koivu did not finish his career in Montreal. He signed as a free agent with the Anaheim Ducks and played the last five years in Southern California.
Statistics used in the post are from NHL.com/stats/
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