Esa Pirnes

Esa Pirnes (born April 1, 1977) is a Finnish former professional ice hockey centre. He began and concluded his 21 year career playing for Oulun Kärpät of the Finnish Liiga. Pirnes was selected by the Los Angeles Kings in the 6th round (174th overall) of the 2003 NHL Entry Draft.

Esa Pirnes
Born (1977-04-01) April 1, 1977
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 to play in the NHL. 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 19 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 47 26 26 52 16 5 0 3 3 2
1999–2000 Blues SM-l 51 15 24 39 12 4 0 1 1 2
2000–01 Blues SM-l 54 10 8 18 51 — — — — —
2001–02 Tappara SM-l 49 8 16 24 30 10 0 1 1 2
2002–03 Tappara SM-l 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 SM-l 47 9 29 38 31 9 1 3 4 2
2005–06 Blues SM-l 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 SM-l 58 17 21 38 46 — — — — —
2010–11 Jokerit SM-l 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 Liiga 11 3 3 6 4 16 4 4 8 8
2014–15 Kärpät Liiga 46 15 13 28 30 19 7 9 16 10
2015–16 Kärpät Liiga 45 10 15 25 10 11 2 4 6 2
Liiga totals 500 129 178 307 299 97 25 34 59 32
NHL totals 57 3 8 11 12 — — — — —
SHL totals 183 52 83 135 168 21 6 6 12 20
Medal record
Representing  Finland
Ice hockey
World Championships
Bronze medal – third place2006 Latvia
Bronze medal – third place2008 Canada

International
Year Team Event Result GP G A Pts PIM
1997 Finland WJC 5th 6 1 0 1 0
2003 Finland WC 5th 6 2 3 5 4
2004 Finland WC 6th 7 0 0 0 6
2006 Finland WC 3rd place, bronze medalist(s) 8 1 3 4 4
2008 Finland WC 3rd place, bronze medalist(s) 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.
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