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Concussions Force Former Avalanche Forward To Retire At 31

Originally posted on Colorado Hockey Now | By Evan Rawal | Last updated 8/27/23

Concussions are awful, and in many cases, they can cause long-term damage to anyone who has suffered from them. Unfortunately, former Colorado Avalanche forward Joonas Donskoi has been forced to call it a career because of head injuries.

The 31-year old forward announced his retirement on social media Sunday evening, citing multiple concussions as the reason why.

Former Avalanche forward Joonas Donskoi has retired due to concussions. Hopefully he’s able to live a healthy life moving forward. pic.twitter.com/Ok1UBAJ6Q8

— Evan Rawal (@evanrawal) August 28, 2023

Donskoi signed a four-year contract with the Avalanche back in the summer of 2019, and was a productive player for the team. In his two seasons in Colorado, he registered 64 points in 116 games. In his final season with the Avalanche, he scored 17 goals in 51 games, which would have given him a 27 goal year over the course of a full schedule.

In the summer of 2021, the Seattle Kraken took Donskoi in the expansion draft. His first season in Seattle was a struggle, as he picked up just 2 goals in 75 games. One year after shooting nearly 20%, he shot a measly 2.2%, so bad luck almost certainly came into play.

Donskoi did not dress for a single game over the past year due to concussions, missing out on the Kraken’s playoff run to the second round.

It’s an unfortunate end for Donskoi, who was a solid player in the NHL from 2015-2022. 31 is far too young to be retiring. Hopefully he’s able to live a happy and healthy life moving forward. We’ll be wishing Donskoi the best of luck in retirement.

This article first appeared on Colorado Hockey Now and was syndicated with permission.

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