The number 36 has seen a lot of players come and go over the course of the San Jose Sharks‘ relatively short history. There have been eight different people to wear it during their time in the Bay Area, but today we’ll take a look at one of the most recent: Kaapo Kahkonen.
Kahkonen’s professional hockey journey began overseas, as he spent a few seasons in his native Finland’s Liiga after being selected in the fourth round of the 2014 NHL Draft by the Minnesota Wild. He made the move to North America during the 2018-19 season and joined the Wild’s American Hockey League affiliate, the Iowa Wild. The following season, he established himself as a reliable backup behind Cam Talbot, but when the Wild brought in another veteran netminder, Marc-Andre Fleury, toward the end of the 2021-22 season, they traded Kahkonen to San Jose.
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Kahkonen had a strong start in the Bay Area, registering a .916 save percentage and 2.86 goals-against average despite a 2-6-1 record in his 11-game stint to close out the 2021-22 season.
The following season, his numbers took a nosedive as he had a career-worst .883 save percentage and a 3.85 goals-against average. That trend continued the following season, which would become his last in San Jose. Ahead of the 2024 NHL Trade Deadline, the Sharks sent Kahkonen to the New Jersey Devils, where he finished the season.
Since departing the Sharks organization, Kahkonen has spent time with the Devils, Colorado Avalanche, Winnipeg Jets, Florida Panthers, and Montreal Canadiens organizations, although most of it has been spent in the AHL. He’s set to return to the Canadiens’ affiliate, the Laval Rocket, this coming season.
