Donskoi retires after 7 NHL seasons due to concussions

Free-agent forward Joonas Donskoi announced his retirement from professional hockey Sunday after battling concussions throughout his seven-season career.

The 31-year-old suffered what ended up being a career-ending concussion during a preseason game last year. Donskoi missed the entire 2022-23 season due to the injury.

Drafted by the Florida Panthers in the fourth round (99th overall) in 2010, Donskoi spent his first six professional seasons playing in his native Finland before signing an NHL deal with the San Jose Sharks ahead of the 2015-16 campaign. He helped the Sharks reach the Stanley Cup Final as a rookie, scoring 12 points in 24 playoff games. Donskoi also netted the overtime winner for San Jose in Game 3 of the 2016 final.

Donskoi spent four years with the Sharks before moving to the Colorado Avalanche as a free agent in 2019. The Seattle Kraken selected him in the expansion draft two years later, and he scored two goals in 75 games during the club's inaugural season.

He tallied 80 goals and 208 points over his NHL career, plus 32 playoff points. Donskoi also represented Finland on the international stage seven times, earning a bronze medal at the 2010 World Under-18 Championships and a fourth-place finish at the 2012 World Juniors.