Canucks prospect Lekkerimaki scores unreal lacrosse-style goal in Sweden
Vancouver Canucks prospect Jonathan Lekkerimäki continues to shine. The winger is not only quickly adding to his goal total, he’s doing so with flash.
The 19-year-old pulled off a beautiful lacrosse-style goal in an SHL game earlier today.
Jonathan Lekkerimäki avgör med ett zorro-mål!! 🤩👏#ÖRELHF #SHL #twittpuck #ishockey #svsshl pic.twitter.com/ywKtCiuDDO
— SHL.se (@SHLse) February 29, 2024
You can see another angle of the highlight-reel goal in this video posted to social media by CanucksArmy‘s Dave Hall.
!!!!!! pic.twitter.com/V0yNBKTgLT
— Dave Hall (@hall1289) February 29, 2024
The 19-year-old is now just five goals away from tying Elias Pettersson’s SHL mark at the same age. Lekkerimäki has managed to score 19 goals so far this year, the best mark of any u24 SHL skater, and he’s still just a teenager.
He also has nine goals in his last eight games as the winger has been scorching hot over the most recent part of the season.
The Canucks originally drafted Lekkerimäki with the 15th overall selection during the 2022 NHL Draft. While he struggled in his first post-draft season, he’s flipped the script this year and is one of the most exciting prospects in the organization’s recent history.
The forward is known for his deadly shot and high-end skill, a combination that results in his name appearing on the scoresheet a lot. He’s in the top five SHL goal scorers despite being five years younger than anyone else in that group.
Lekkerimäki impressed at this year’s World Juniors where his seven goals and three assists in seven games were enough to be named tournament MVP.
The 19-year-old is expected to make the jump to North America next season. He will then be able to work on adjusting to the smaller ice surface and show off his skills closer to his eventual NHL home.