The new forward Joonas Donskoi talked about the end of his puck career in Petopod.
Joonas Donskoi ended his playing career. Kari Pekonen
Ice hockey player Joonas Donskoi, 31, had to end his great playing career due to health problems. The brain-injured player announced his decision in August. In the 2022–2023 season, he didn’t even play a match.
Donskoi was last seen with the Seattle Kraken in a practice game on September 30, 2022. He had to leave the game due to injury.
Donskoi was a guest on the Oulu Kärppi podcast In Petopod talking about his new everyday life. Running a young family has kept me busy.
– Pretty cool feelings. Mentally it was funny. These keys have been used to calculate the time for another boy. With the two-year-old, it has been nice to hustle and let my wife rest. The boy has the same passions: hockey and cars, Donskoi laughs.
When the life of an NHL player ends, the feelings that followed can be heavy.
– Even now I feel like my head is messed up. It’s hard to relax. It’s hard to accept that you don’t play anymore, the puck player reveals.
“I had to calm down”
Donskoi played his last matches for the Seattle Kraken. AOP / USA TODAY SPORTS
After this, Donskoi was asked at the end of August From the closing message published on Instagram. Having stayed at the bank for a long time, publishing the message was a tough place.
– Well yeah. It was on my mind for a long time. But I had tried to put it aside. Somehow I don’t… damn, Donskoi loses the thought.
– It took a long time, he just couldn’t take it. I just had to calm down. And he couldn’t talk to the media about anything… damn, Donskoi was told.
At this point, you could hear the emotions rising to the surface in Raahelainen’s voice. A long and telling silence followed.
– No worries. There are many other things in life than hockey. It’s really nice to be with family and like this. I’ve liked being on my own, and I can’t always answer questions and give interviews, even though it’s a really important topic.
Donskoi has moved with his family to Minnesota to his wife’s home. Raahelainen also says that he visits Finland more often than before.
During his NHL career, Donskoi spent four years in San Jose, two in Colorado and two in Seattle. The forward played 474 games for the team. He scored 80 goals and provided 128 assists.