| STORIES |
- Sunday, June 27, 2010: Sniper Pulkkinen ‘like Jari Kurri’
- Wednesday, October 6, 2010: Pulkkinen shouldering the load
- Wednesday, January 5, 2011: Big Swede’s production no Joak
- Wednesday, February 9, 2011: 2010-11 mid-season: New Euro Twins rise higher
- Wednesday, March 16, 2011: Mrazek keeps getting better in OHL
- Wednesday, March 23, 2011: Memorial Cup chase begins
- Wednesday, April 20, 2011: Jarnkrok gives ‘everything he has, every shift’
- Wednesday, December 21, 2011: Emerging Jensen explodes for rare hat trick
- Tuesday, January 3, 2012: Red Wings prospects grab WJC spotlight
- Wednesday, January 25, 2012: Pulkkinen scoring goals — and lots of them
- Tuesday, January 31, 2012: Defense plus, opportunity minus for Almqvist
- Wednesday, April 11, 2012: Jurco, Sea Dogs ripping up QMJHL playoffs
- Wednesday, October 24, 2012: Pulkkinen’s goal-scoring prowess goes MIA
- Wednesday, January 30, 2013: Shades of Edler in Red Wings’ Backman
- Wednesday, February 13, 2013: Pulkkinen lighting the lamp once again
- Wednesday, April 17, 2013: Four Red Wings prospects chase Memorial Cup
|
| AWARDS |
- 2010 IIHF world under-18 championship top three player (Finland)
- 2010 IIHF world under-18 championship all-star
- 2010 IIHF world under-18 championship top forward
- 2010 IIHF world under-18 championship most goals (10)
- 2010 IIHF world under-18 championship most points (15)
- 2010-11 Finnish SM-Liiga single-season rookie assists record (36)
|
| HISTORY |
2008-09:
- Absolutely tore apart the Finnish under-18 ranks with Jokerit Helsinki (9-16-19-35).
- Didn’t slow down much at the under-20 level (24-15-13-28).
- Made his Finnish SM-Liiga debut with Jokerit (3-0-0-0).
- Finished third in scoring en route to bronze at IIHF world under-18 championship (6-7-6-13).
- Ranked by numerous scouting services as a potential top-10 or -20 pick for the 2010 NHL draft.
- Selected 50th overall by Kelowna in the CHL import draft.
- Underwent off-season surgery for a nagging knee problem.
|
2009-10:
- Recovered from off-season knee surgery and started year in Finnish SM-Liiga with Helsinki Jokerit.
- Struggled to produce before breaking his wrist (12-1-2-3).
- Missed IIHF world junior championship because of injuries.
- Returned in new year with Jokerit’s under-20 team and dominated (17-20-21-41).
- Won a bronze medal at IIHF world under-18 championship, leading tournament in scoring (6-10-5-15).
- Underwent off-season shoulder surgery that put him out 18 weeks.
- Selected in the second round (24th overall) by Dinamo Minsk in the Kontinental Hockey League draft.
- Ranked as a second-rounder for the NHL draft (50th by THN, 53rd by ISS, 17th by CS).
- Selected in the fourth round (111th overall) by the Red Wings in the NHL draft.
|
2010-11:
- Finished fifth in Finnish SM-Liiga scoring with Helsinki Jokerit (55-18-36-54).
- Broke Teemu Selanne’s 20-year-old single-season rookie assists record with 36 helpers.
- Tied for second in SM-Liiga power-play goals (10) and tied for fifth with a plus-23 rating.
- Led sixth-place Finland in scoring at the WJC (9-3-6-9, plus-2, 26 shots).
- Missed four of team’s seven playoff games with a kidney infection (3-0-1-1).
|
2011-12:
- Returned to Jokerit for second full SM-Liiga season (56-16-21-37, even plus-minus, 235 shots).
- Production slipped by 17 points from previous season, but was second in team scoring.
- Missed start of SM-Liiga playoffs with foot injury, then assigned to Jokerit’s junior team for two games.
- Returned to appear in just four of Jokerit’s 10 playoff games (4-0-1-1, minus-3, 25 shots).
- Put up big numbers at WJC, helping Finland finish fourth (7-6-4-10, plus-4, 42 shots).
- Tied for third in WJC goal-scoring but scored four of six goals in 10-1 blowout win over Denmark.
|
| SCOUT COMMENTS |
|
“He loves to have the puck, he loves being on the power play,and he shoots the puck all the time. He’s like Jari Kurri. It’s a nice thing to say, but it’s true, and Jari Kurri wasn’t the fastest skater either … He’s a goal-scorer, which is really hard to find these days, but he can also make plays. He has a good shot and he’s so smart at finding openings.” — Red Wings scout Ari Vuori (June 2010) … “He loves to shoot the puck and he can really shoot it. He’s always in the right position. He’s a dangerous player from the tops of the circles down. His skating is not one of his best assets, but the one thing he has is the ability to score goals.” — Red Wings scout Mark Leach (January 2012) … “We might have a poor-man’s Brett Hull on our hands because he has a hell of a shot.” — Red Wings scout Hakan Andersson (January 2012) … “He’s a pure goal-scorer, with a Brett Hull type of shot; loves to shoot the puck, has a great release. Europeans aren’t known as shooters, but he has a Brett Hull type of mentality. Finds open spots, lets it rip.” — Red Wings assistant GM Jim Nill (MLive.com, May 2012).
|
| STRENGTHS |
|
Described to The Hockey News by one scout as a “pure sniper” with “a great shot” and a “great release” … Loves to shoot … Has that dynamic feel as a right shot on the left wing, which opens him up for plenty of one-time opportunities … Absolutely lethal on the power play … Hockey sense is outstanding … Innate knack for finding the spots on the ice in a way not unlike Brett Hull or Jari Kurri … Underrated as a playmaker, as he has dished out some sweet feeds at the junior level … Although he isn’t big, he has a stocky build and a low center of gravity.
|
| WEAKNESSES |
|
Skating is either average or below average, depending on which scout you ask, but without a doubt he lacks the top gear usually required of smaller wingers … Has been criticized for spending too much time on the perimeter … Loves scoring and producing offense, but needs to round that out with improved play without the puck … Misses the net more than he should, and might need to take some velocity off his shots … Has a tendency to take long shifts.
|
| PROJECTION |
|
Pulkkinen is hungry for goals and has both the shooting ability and offensive-zone smarts to score plenty of them. Look at his IIHF numbers at two WJCs and two U-18 championships — an astounding 26 goals and 24 assists for 50 points in just 25 games. The rest of his game, however, is a big question mark and it’s not clear if he’ll become more than a power-play specialist in the NHL. As Red Wings scout Hakan Andersson said, “we might have a poor-man’s Brett Hull on our hands.” Expect him to spend 2012-13 in Finland before the Red Wings bring him to North America.
|
Player statistics powered by www.eliteprospects.com
| Season |
Team |
League |
GP |
G |
A |
TP |
PIM |
|
Playoffs |
GP |
G |
A |
TP |
PIM |
| 2006-2007 |
Jokerit U16 |
Jr. C SM-sarja Q |
11 |
26 |
21 |
47 |
10 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Jokerit U16 |
Jr. C SM-sarja |
11 |
21 |
22 |
43 |
0 |
| |
Playoffs |
6 |
7 |
10 |
17 |
2 |
| |
Jokerit U18 |
Jr. B SM-sarja |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| |
Playoffs |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| |
Finland U16 (all) |
International-Jr |
3 |
3 |
2 |
5 |
0 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 2007-2008 |
Jokerit U16 |
Jr. C SM-sarja Q |
1 |
3 |
3 |
6 |
0 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Jokerit U16 |
Jr. C SM-sarja |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| |
Playoffs |
2 |
5 |
3 |
8 |
2 |
| |
Jokerit U18 |
Jr. B SM-sarja Q |
9 |
13 |
7 |
20 |
0 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Jokerit U18 |
Jr. B SM-sarja |
23 |
23 |
17 |
40 |
8 |
| |
Playoffs |
6 |
11 |
6 |
17 |
6 |
| |
Finland U16 (all) |
International-Jr |
7 |
6 |
11 |
17 |
4 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Finland U17 |
WHC-17 |
5 |
5 |
3 |
8 |
10 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Finland U17 (all) |
International-Jr |
11 |
8 |
6 |
14 |
22 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 2008-2009 |
Jokerit U18 |
Jr. B SM-sarja Q |
5 |
10 |
12 |
22 |
2 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Jokerit U18 |
Jr. B SM-sarja |
4 |
6 |
7 |
13 |
2 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Jokerit U20 |
Jr. A SM-liiga |
24 |
15 |
13 |
28 |
12 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Jokerit |
SM-liiga |
3 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
6 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Suomi U20 |
Finland2 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Finland U17 (all) |
International-Jr |
5 |
3 |
7 |
10 |
4 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Finland U17 |
WHC-17 |
5 |
3 |
6 |
9 |
4 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Finland U18 |
WJC-18 |
6 |
7 |
6 |
13 |
4 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Finland U18 (all) |
International-Jr |
12 |
9 |
15 |
24 |
8 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 2009-2010 |
Jokerit U20 |
Jr. A SM-liiga |
17 |
20 |
21 |
41 |
41 |
| |
Playoffs |
4 |
3 |
3 |
6 |
0 |
| |
Jokerit |
SM-liiga |
12 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
6 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Finland U18 |
WJC-18 |
6 |
10 |
5 |
15 |
10 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Finland U18 (all) |
International-Jr |
11 |
10 |
7 |
17 |
4 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Finland U20 (all) |
International-Jr |
7 |
0 |
8 |
8 |
6 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 2010-2011 |
Jokerit |
SM-liiga |
55 |
18 |
36 |
54 |
32 |
| |
Playoffs |
3 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
| |
Jokerit |
ET |
5 |
2 |
4 |
6 |
0 |
| |
Playoffs |
3 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| |
Suomi U20 |
Finland2 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Finland U20 |
WJC-20 |
6 |
3 |
6 |
9 |
6 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 2011-2012 |
Jokerit |
SM-liiga |
56 |
16 |
21 |
37 |
41 |
| |
Playoffs |
4 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
| |
Jokerit |
ET |
7 |
4 |
3 |
7 |
0 |
| |
Playoffs |
2 |
0 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
| |
Finland U20 |
WJC-20 |
7 |
6 |
4 |
10 |
2 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Finland |
EHT |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Finland U20 (all) |
International-Jr |
16 |
13 |
7 |
20 |
10 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 2012-2013 |
Jokerit |
SM-liiga |
59 |
14 |
20 |
34 |
49 |
| |
Playoffs |
6 |
2 |
3 |
5 |
22 |
| |
Jokerit |
ET |
7 |
2 |
5 |
7 |
4 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Grand Rapids Griffins |
AHL |
2 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
| |
Playoffs |
10 |
3 |
2 |
5 |
6 |
Player statistics © www.eliteprospects.com
