Esa Pirnes

Esa Pirnes (born April 1, 1977) is a Finnish former professional ice hockey centre. He played most of his career, which lasted from 1995 to 2016, in the Finnish Liiga. He also played 57 games in the National Hockey League with the Los Angeles Kings during the 2003–04 season, after the Kings selected him in the 6th round (174th overall) of the 2003 NHL Entry Draft. Internationally Pirnes played for the Finnish national team at four World Championships, winning two bronze medals.

Esa Pirnes
Born	(1977-04-01) April 1, 1977 (age 47) Oulu, Finland
Height	6 ft 0 in (183 cm)
Weight	185 lb (84 kg; 13 st 3 lb)
Position	Centre
Shot	Left
Played for	Oulun Kärpät Espoo Blues Tappara Los Angeles Kings Lukko Färjestads BK Atlant Moscow Oblast Jokerit EV Zug AIK IF
National team	Finland
NHL draft	174th overall, 2003 Los Angeles Kings
Playing career	1995–2016

Playing career

Pirnes started his career with Kärpät in the Finnish second league in 1995 and played with them until 1999, when he signed with SM-Liiga club Blues. He stayed with the Blues for two seasons before he moved to rivals Tappara in 2001. In 2003, he was drafted by the Kings after four good seasons in SM-Liiga. Pirnes went over the Atlantic Ocean to play in the National Hockey League. But he did not have the same success in NHL as he had in Finland. Despite playing 57 games with LA he only scored 11 points. Before the season was over he also played a few games with the Kings's farm team, Manchester Monarchs of the AHL. He was named to team Finland in the 2004 World Cup of Hockey roster, but did not play a game.^[1] But he did not stay in the NHL, instead he went back home to Finland and signed with Lukko for the 2004/05 season.

After one year in Lukko he moved back to his former club, Blues. But after the season he signed with his fifth club in five years, Swedish club Färjestads BK, for the 2006/07 season. In Färjestad he was re-united with his former teammate from Lukko, Janne Niskala. In the Season 2008/2009 Pirnes signed to play for Atlant Moscow Oblast and left the club on May 6, 2009 the club to sign with Jokerit.^[2]

In May 2012, Pirnes signed with AIK of the Swedish Elitserien (SEL).^[3]

Sometime in 2020, Pirnes became the European Development Coach for the New Jersey Devils of the NHL.

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

				Regular season						Playoffs
Season	Team	League		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
1993–94	Kärpät	FIN U18		31	15	15	30	24		4	1	0	1	2
1994–95	Kärpät	FIN U18		6	6	3	9	8		—	—	—	—	—
1994–95	Kärpät	FIN U20		18	3	3	6	10		—	—	—	—	—
1995–96	Kärpät	FIN U20		24	13	32	8	—		—	—	—	—
1995–96	Kärpät	FIN-2		20	8	4	12	12		3	0	0	0	0
1996–97	Kärpät	FIN U20		25	2	7	9	18		—	—	—	—	—
1996–97	Kärpät	FIN-2		36	17	16	33	20		9	0	2	2	16
1997–98	Kärpät	FIN U20		6	5	8	13	2		—	—	—	—	—
1997–98	Kärpät	FIN-2		32	6	15	21	12		—	—	—	—	—
1998–99	Kärpät	FIN-2		26	26	52	16	5		0	3	3	2
1999–00	Blues	FIN		51	15	24	39	12		4	0	1	1	2
2000–01	Blues	FIN		54	10	8	18	51		—	—	—	—	—
2001–02	Tappara	FIN		49	8	16	24	30		10	0	1	1	2
2002–03	Tappara	FIN		56	23	14	37	6		15	5	9	14	2
2003–04	Los Angeles Kings	NHL		57	3	8	11	12		—	—	—	—	—
2003–04	Manchester Monarchs	AHL		4	3	1	4	2		—	—	—	—	—
2004–05	Lukko	FIN		47	9	29	38	31		9	1	3	4	2
2005–06	Blues	FIN		44	10	23	33	24		9	5	3	8	2
2006–07	Färjestads BK	SEL		43	17	26	43	28		9	2	3	5	8
2007–08	Färjestads BK	SEL		52	15	23	38	74		12	4	3	7	12
2008–09	Atlant Moscow Oblast	KHL		51	22	28	50	84		—	—	—	—	—
2009–10	Jokerit	FIN		58	17	21	38	46		—	—	—	—	—
2010–11	Jokerit	FIN		39	9	12	21	57		3	1	0	1	2
2011–12	EV Zug	NLA		29	12	14	26	4		3	0	0	0	25
2012–13	AIK	SEL		45	10	20	30	28		—	—	—	—	—
2013–14	AIK	SHL		43	10	14	24	38		—	—	—	—	—
2013–14	Kärpät	FIN		11	3	3	6	4		16	4	4	8	8
2014–15	Kärpät	FIN		46	15	13	28	30		19	7	9	16	10
2015–16	Kärpät	FIN		45	10	15	25	10		11	2	4	6	2
FIN totals				500	129	178	307	299		97	25	34	59	32
NHL totals				57	3	8	11	12		—	—	—	—	—

International

Medal record
Representing  Finland
Ice hockey
World Championships
	2006 Latvia
	2008 Canada

Year	Team	Event		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
1997	Finland	WJC		6	1	0	1	0
2003	Finland	WC		6	2	3	5	4
2004	Finland	WC		7	0	0	0	6
2006	Finland	WC		8	1	3	4	4
2008	Finland	WC		4	0	0	0	0
Junior totals				6	1	0	1	0
Senior totals				25	3	6	9	14

References

1. "Esa Pirnes player profile". National Hockey League. May 7, 2004. Retrieved May 6, 2006.
2. "Pirnes agrees to contract with Jokerit" (in Finnish). Jokerit. May 6, 2009. Retrieved May 6, 2009.
3. "Esa Pirnes ansluter och Robert Rosén lämnar" (in Swedish). AIK. May 21, 2012. Retrieved May 21, 2012.

External links

• Biographical information and career statistics from NHL.com, or Eliteprospects.com, or Hockey-Reference.com, or The Internet Hockey Database

Awards and achievements
Preceded by Kari Lehtonen	Winner of the Jari Kurri trophy 2002–03	Succeeded by Niklas Bäckström
Preceded by Jani Rita	Winner of the Raimo Kilpiö trophy 2005–06	Succeeded by Tommi Paakkolanvaara