According to a team announcement, New York Islanders prospect Jesse Nurmi will miss the next four to six weeks following a procedure on his left knee. Nurmi was projected to begin the year with the AHL Bridgeport following the conclusion of training camp.
The Islanders drafted Nurmi, 20, with the 113th overall pick of the 2023 NHL Draft after an impressive season with KooKoo in the Finnish U20 league. The winger scored 21 goals and 50 points in 41 games with a +21 rating. He was also successful during that year’s U18 World Junior Championships, scoring one goal and five points in five tournament contests.
Nurmi wasn’t afforded a positive season following his selection by the Islanders. An early-season injury during the 2023-24 campaign limited him to 19 games with KooKoo, where Nurmi tallied two assists. Still, he was selected by the OHL’s London Knights in the CHL Import Draft, and he joined them for the 2024-25 season.
Last season was somewhat of a mixed bag for Nurmi. He had a relatively poor transition to North American hockey, scoring nine goals and 31 points in 58 games for the Knights, while tallying another three goals and eight points in 17 postseason contests. That isn’t to say he showed no development throughout his first year in the OHL.
Nurmi was the leading scorer at the 2024 World Junior Showcase, achieving four goals and six points in four games. He added two goals and five points in seven games during the 2024-25 U20 World Junior Championships.
Though he had a slim chance of cracking New York’s opening night roster out of training camp, today’s injury update eliminates any remaining hope. Assuming his recovery remains on the projected timeline, Nurmi will start the season with the AHL Islanders sometime in mid-to-late October.