Joona Koppanen makes impression, scores 1st NHL goal in season debut with Penguins

The firsthand knowledge of how difficult it is to ascend to the NHL breeds a deep appreciation amongst players when their teammates debut or accomplish career firsts.

First goals are particularly special moments, not only for the player himself who finds the back of a NHL net, but also his teammates, who relish getting to watch a peer achieve such a relatable dream.

Such was the case for the Pittsburgh Penguins on Tuesday night, when winger Joona Koppanen, suiting up for his first NHL game of the season and only the ninth of his career, scored in the opening period against the New York Islanders.

“It’s awesome,” said Penguins forward Bryan Rust, a veteran of 625 NHL contests. “Anytime you see a guy come up here, bring energy, bring the heart – a guy who is an honest, good, hard-working player – and go out there and score his first goal, I think it’s fun. It brings everybody in this room back to their own first goals.”

Koppanen, 27, was only recalled from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League under emergency roster conditions earlier Tuesday morning.

After partaking in morning skate, Koppanen was inserted into the lineup against New York, replacing Emil Bemstrom, who was scratched.

Skating in his first NHL game since March 5, 2024, Koppanen showed zero signs of the jitters, as he opened up the scoring only 4 minutes, 40 seconds into things.

His goal came via a deflection of a Vladislav Kolyachonok shot from the blue line that got by New York’s Ilya Sorokin.

A dream come true for Joona Koppanen ???? pic.twitter.com/bfvwX1BwtQ

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Koppanen began the game as right wing on Kevin Hayes’ fourth line along with Boko Imama. Coach Mike Sullivan was impressed enough with what he saw to give the 6-foot-5 Finn some shifts on the third line with Blake Lizotte and Noel Acciari.

“Obviously, he scores a goal and that’s a huge boost of confidence for him, but I thought he was solid,” Sullivan said. “We moved him up the lineup, and we felt he played well. That’s one of the reasons why we moved him up the lineup.”

In total, Koppanen skated for 12:55 Tuesday in the Penguins’ eventual 4-2 defeat, recording two shots and three hits while logging 1:05 on the penalty kill.

While Koppanen was undoubtedly happy to score his first NHL goal, the Penguins’ third-period collapse, in which they allowed four unanswered goals to the Islanders, blowing a 2-0 lead, put a damper on things.

“Great feeling, of course, but we’re all here for a win, so can’t be too happy with that,” Koppanen said postgame. “I think I played a pretty solid game. Had a little (penalty kill) there, so I was trying to do my job there and forecheck some pucks for our team. I think I was pretty happy with my own game.”

By suiting up Tuesday, a third NHL campaign is officially underway for Koppanen, who was originally a fifth-round (No. 135 overall) draft pick by the Boston Bruins in 2016.

Koppanen spent parts of six seasons in the Bruins organization, the majority of which was spent in the minor leagues.

However, he made his NHL debut Jan. 12, 2023 and went on to appear in five games for Boston that season, posting an assist.

On the opening day of the 2023 free agency period, the Penguins inked him to a two-year contract through 2024-25 worth $775,000 annually and since then, he’s gone on to appear in 111 games for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.

This season at the AHL level, through 53 games, Koppanen had produced six goals with 15 assists, skating exclusively at center.

The structural similarities of what Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and the NHL Penguins task their players with executing made for a smooth transition Tuesday.

“(I) know the system kind of perfectly right now, so I don’t really have think about too much,” Koppanen said. “You can just let it go and play your game.”

While noting the changes in responsibility inherent to playing a different forward position, Koppanen felt fine making the switch.

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The Penguins’ Joona Koppanen (left) celebrates his first NHL goal with Kevin Hayes in the first period against the Islanders on Tuesday.

“I didn’t really see too much difference, of course,” Koppanen said. “More pucks on the walls, so I had to make a little bit different kinds of plays, but I think as a winger, it’s a little easier to get on the forecheck. That’s one big strength of my game, so I think I bring that better when I’m playing wing.”

It remains to be seen whether Koppanen’s time on the NHL roster will be more than just a cup of coffee.

But judging from his coach’s assessment, Koppanen made a good initial impression.

“I thought he was solid,” Sullivan said. “Really liked his pace. I think he’s picked up a step. He had good details, he defends hard, (and) he was good on the penalty kill.”