Esa Pirnes

Esa Lasse Juhani 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.

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. 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.

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

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

Career statistics Regular season and playoffs Regular seasonPlayoffs 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

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