Top 5 Finnish-born Players in Canadiens History

When Patrik Laine pulls on a Montreal Canadiens sweater for the first time in a regular season game on October 9 against the Toronto Maple Leafs, he will become only the 16th Finnish-born skater in team history.

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In their illustrious history, only 37 players have played for the Canadiens from a Nordic country, including 15 from Finland, 21 from Sweden, and just one from Norway.

Besides the obvious name at the top of this list, who are some other Finnish-born players who wore the Canadiens jersey, and what impact did they have during their tenures?

5. Jesse Ylönen (Scottsdale, AZ)

Jesse Ylönen was born in Scottsdale, AZ, but maintains dual citizenship in Finland and the United States. Despite being born in North America, he grew up playing hockey in Finland and represents the Nordic country in international hockey, dressing for the U16, U17, U18, and U20 teams.

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As 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 departed the club to sign with the Tampa Bay Lightning as a free agent.

4. Jesperi Kotkaniemi (Pori, Finland)

It is safe to say that Jesperi Kotkaniemi will always have a special place in Canadiens history as the player who signed an offer sheet at 20 and was whisked away by a rival general manager.

As the third overall pick in the 2018 Draft, Kotkaniemi registered 34 points in 79 games as a rookie, never scoring more than 20 over the next two seasons.

When he was a restricted free agent in the summer of 2021, Kotkaniemi opted to sign with the Carolina Hurricanes, where he’s been playing ever since. In 2022-23, he scored a career-high 43 points.

Ultimately, Kotkaniemi ended up in Carolina as a retaliation to a Montreal offer sheet in 2019 for a fellow Finnish player, Sebastian Aho.

3. Joel Armia (Pori, Finland)

Joel Armia is another first-round pick (16th overall in 2011) who debuted 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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In the past six seasons, Armia has scored 66 goals and 120 points in 325 games, playing 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 as the 55th pick in the 2013 Draft, and he would play six seasons with the organization.

In 396 games, Lehkonen scored 74 goals with 149 points before a trade to the Colorado Avalanche in March 2022. He’s blossomed into a 20-goal scorer in Denver while ranking as the second-highest Finnish scorer in Montreal history.

1. Saku Koivu (Turku, Finland)

It could be argued that Saku Koivu is one of the best Canadiens players who never won the Stanley Cup. As a late first-round pick (21st overall) in 1993, he became one of the longest Montreal captains, wearing the “C” from 1999 to 2009.

Thanks to 641 points in 792 games, Koivu is the highest-scoring Finnish player in Canadiens history, and his place in this category will remain unmatched for decades.

Regarding his place in franchise history, Koivu ranks 10th all-time in points, 28th in goals, and 7th in assists. He is only one of two on the team’s top 50 highest-scoring players with a negative plus/minus total of minus-10.

Despite serving as an inspiration through his battle with cancer, which resulted in a Bill Masterton Trophy win in 2002, Koivu did not finish his career in Montreal, signing as a free agent with the Anaheim Ducks, playing out the final five years in southern California.

Statistics used in the post obtained from NHL.com/stats/

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