Joonas Korpisalo was born on April 28, 1994 in Pori, Finland. Korpisalo’s father, Jari, played hockey for 20 years, including one year in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League and several seasons in the Finnish Liiga. Joonas played for the Jokerit club for many years through many levels in Finland. During the 2009-10 season, Korpisalo registered a sparkling 2.29 goals against average and a .930 save percentage. That season, the 6-foot-3, 190-pound goaltender got his first taste of international play in three games with Finland’s U16 team.
After the 2011-12 season, Korpisalo was named the league’s best goaltender with a 2.04 GAA and .930 save percentage in 38 games. During the World Junior Championships with the U20 team in 2013, Korpisalo struggled to a 3.36 GAA and a .858 save percentage in five games.
The Columbus Blue Jackets Drafted Joonas Korpisalo in the Third Round in 2012
Joonas Korpisalo was drafted in the third round of the 2012 NHL Draft by the Columbus Blue Jackets, 62nd overall. Korpisalo was the fifth goalie taken in the draft and the first pick of the third round. This draft included Vezina Trophy winners Andrei Vasilevskiy, Connor Hellebuyck, and Linus Ullmark.
Joonas Korpisalo’s NHL Debut to Today
Korpisalo debuted in the NHL on December 15, 2014, in a 2-1 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning in Columbus and made 27 saves on 29 shots. The left-catching netminder earned his first NHL win on December 19 against the Philadelphia Flyers in a 3-2 shootout win. Korpisalo made 30 saves on 32 shots in the victory.
During his first season, Korpisalo played in 31 games with a 16-11-4 record with a 2.60 GAA and a .920 save percentage. Korpisalo never played more than 39 regular season games until the 2023-24 season with Ottawa when he played 55 games, winning 21.
On March 1, 2023, Korpisalo was traded to the Los Angeles Kings with Vladislav Gavrikov for goaltender Jonathan Quick and two draft picks. Korpisalo played well in 11 games with the Kings, securing a 7-3-1 record with a 2.13 GAA and a .921 save percentage. Four months later, Korpisalo signed a five-year contract with the Ottawa Senators. On June 24, 2024, Korpisalo was traded with forward Mark Kastelic and a 2024 first-round draft pick to Boston for Ullmark. Korpisalo enters the 2024-25 season as the backup to Boston Bruins’ goalie Jeremy Swayman.
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