Kari Makkonen -- Anyone remember him? (Finnish forward of the 1970s/80s)

The Panther

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Mar 25, 2014
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The existence (heretofore unknown to me) of Finnish forward Kari Makkonen came to my attention tonight for the simple fact that he played 9 games for the Edmonton Oilers in their inaugural season of 1979-80. Anyone remember this guy?
Screenshot 2024-12-21 232356.jpg

He had been drafted by the NY Islanders in the 12th round in 1975, but I've no idea if he ever tried out at their training camp or whatnot. He eventually signed as a free-agent with Edmonton in the summer of 1979.

Of his grand total of 9 NHL games, 7 were played in December 1979 (he scored all 4 of his career NHL points over a 4-game span). He then didn't play again until March 1st 1980 (his last NHL game), which suggests he either got hurt in December 1979 or Sather healthy-scratched him for a long time. He played 16 games that season with the Houston Apollos of the CHL, so it seems more likely that he was scratched, though maybe he was injured first and then assigned to the minors for a while.

Presumably frustrated or just unhappy with NHL life, he returned to Finland in 1980 and had a long and productive career as a scorer in the 'Finnish Elite-League'. He also played for Finland in the 1981 Canada Cup and appeared at the World Championships numerous times.

Makkonen was also a coach and assistant coach for several years in Finland.

Anyway, just a curiosity in Oilers' history, but I was wondering if anyone knows the story of how the Oilers even signed him (before they had ever played a game in the NHL), and how / why he left the NHL so quickly? Edmonton, as we know, was quite successful with Finnish players in their first few years in the NHL, and coach/GM Glen Sather was keen on European players in general. Makkonen would seem to have been quite a legit, talented forward who could have made a much longer 'go' of an NHL career if so inclined.
 
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Albatros

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Anyway, just a curiosity in Oilers' history, but I was wondering if anyone knows the story of how the Oilers even signed him
He scored against both Team Canada and Team USSR at the Canada Cup in 1976 which may have played a role.

During the NHL season his wife gave birth in December and he wanted to return back to Finland, he also didn't speak much English so staying was less of an option. I think the whole NHL experience was more of a spontaneous adventure than a thoughtful career move.

I don't know how his contract looked like in particular, but at the time it was sometimes actually quite popular among European players to be sent down to the farm team if with the NHL team they got paid the same sum in CAD and in farm in USD.
 
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Michael Farkas

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Quickly went back and watched him play in the '81 Canada Cup. He was shooting winger who didn't mind initiating contact, but wasn't a very good skater. I question his puck control through contact. Looks like sort of a grindy winger with some shooting preference/ability.

He was anointed "designated sitter" by Jim Matheson in this Feb 1, 1980 article.

He practices every day. Makes the road trips. Even skates in the pre-game warm-ups.

But former Finnish national team forward Kari Makkonen spends almost every night watching Edmonton Oilers from the stands or press box. As of the third week in January, the 25-year-old leftwing from Pori, has played in just eight of Oilers’ 43 games. Actually, that’s not wholly true. In four of those, he barely budged from the end of the bench.

Considering he’s making in the neighborhood of $40,000 to $50,000 on the first-year of a two-season pact, that’s pretty good money for R&R. About $5,000 a game and even league scoring leader Marcel Dionne doesn’t haul down that much per outing.

Unclear why he doesn't play....

To many it’s a mystery why he’s not. Especially on a club that isn’t endowed with shifty goalscorers. Makkonen, who scored 36 goals in as many games with his club team Assat last season, has a good touch around the net. But, he can’t seem to beat out Brett Caliighen, who plays leftwing on the team’s No. 1 line with Wayne Gretzky and Blair MacDonald; checking forward Dave Hunter; rugged Cam Connor or even police-man Dave Semenko.

On a 19-man roster, he’s firmly ensconced as the 20th man. Even as Oilers keep losing, he keeps sitting.

“I have not been told why I don’t play,” said Makkonen, who is one of four Finns (teammate Risto Siltanen, Washington’s Antero Lehtonen and Atlanta’s Pekka Rautakallio are the others) in the National Hockey League this season.

Didn't want to go back to the minors again...played with Gretzky briefly...

He hasn’t played since Dec. 21 in Colorado, however, as Sather’s enthusiasm for the winger waned. He’d like to maybe send him to the minors, but Makkonen has a clause in his contract that says he can veto that. He went once for two weeks but that was plen-ty.

“He played well for a few games,” said Sather, who inserted the winger in Callighen’s spot with Gretzky. “But…”

But the audition was shortlived.

DS...

All in all, it’s difficult to understand. Oilers are paying a salary, not to mention an additional $50,000 ($25,000 down and the additional when he plays 40 games in the NHL) to the Finnish Ice Hockey Federation for his services.

And all he is a DS.

Designated Sitter.

“I really think he can play,” admits Sather. “He’s not a waste of time.

Maybe not. But Makkonen must feel Oilers are wasting his.
 

The Panther

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Quickly went back and watched him play in the '81 Canada Cup. He was shooting winger who didn't mind initiating contact, but wasn't a very good skater. I question his puck control through contact. Looks like sort of a grindy winger with some shooting preference/ability.

He was anointed "designated sitter" by Jim Matheson in this Feb 1, 1980 article.



Unclear why he doesn't play....



Didn't want to go back to the minors again...played with Gretzky briefly...



DS...
Amazing stuff there. Thanks a lot!
 
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gary69

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They also interviewed him at nhl.com in 2023, where he tells about his time with the Oilers and mentions that he decided to return to Finland after his first child was born during the season.

He also mentions how when he was a coach in Finland, he first saw the Barkov as a kid showing good skills.

Kari Makkonen vaihtoi yhdessä tekemisen kaukalosta kouluun | NHL.com/fi

There is also an interview in Finnish on his Finnish club's Assat website, where around 12 mins mark he touches his time with Gretzky and Oilers. He mentions that he scored his first NHL goal (against Calgary) two days after the birth of his child, who he only got to see for the first time after that match.

kari makkonen haastattelu - Suchen Videos
 

Robert Gordon Orr

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Dec 3, 2009
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Makkonen was certainly good enough to earn more playing time. He wasn’t particularly flashy, but was very good around the net, and wasn’t afraid to stick his nose into traffic.

Makkonen was fairly physical by European standards, something that Oilers head scout, Barry Fraser probably liked about him. Many years ago when I had dinner with Fraser and some other scouts, I remember him saying that he had a soft spot for Europeans who had the courage to take a beating in front of the net, in order to finish plays. I guess Makkonen fit that mold.

During their WHA days, the Winnipeg Jets had Makkonen in their training camp one year when they were in Europe. Oilers had several Finnish players at that 1979 training camp. English was a problem for Makkonen, and I believe he mostly used fellow countrymen Kamppuri and Siltanen as his interpreters. But he had no problem adapting to the smaller rinks.

He was the best player right out of the gate, scoring six goals in his first two scrimmages with the team. But was only average at best in his first two preseason games. In the third he scored a goal (assisted by Gretzky of course). It turned out to be Makkonen’s only goal and point in four preseason games, as he saw very limited ice time.

Makkonen could play on both wings, most often as a left winger though. In training camp wingers like Callighen, Hunter, Semenko, Lumley, MacDonald and Flett all outplayed him.
Callighen was the leading Oilers scorer in preseason (12 points), ahead of Lumley (10), Gretzky (10), Chipperfield (9) and MacDonald (8).

After that Makkonen never really got many opportunities to show what he could do. He got tired of watching the games from the stands. After all, he was a star player back home in Finland, both on the national team and the league. His family situation most likely also contributed to him returning back to Finland.
 

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