Jesse Puljujarvi found a way to turn a frustrating loss into a punchline.
The former Edmonton Oilers forward, who helped Finland capture gold at this year’s IIHF World Championship, had already given fans plenty to cheer about on the ice. Puljujarvi finished the tournament with four goals and nine points in 10 games, a strong run for the 28-year-old winger while playing in Switzerland during the 2025-26 season.
Then came the awkward part: after celebrating with teammates in the Helsinki Metropolitan area, Puljujarvi lost his gold medal. For Oilers fans who still remember the 2016 fourth-overall pick fondly, it was a gutting little twist.
But the story didn’t end there. Puljujarvi has now gotten a replacement medal, and he delivered the news in trademark fashion.
After having his World Hockey Championship gold medal stolen at a Karaoke bar, Jesse Puljujärvi has received a replacement. He announced this with a video of him fishing the medal out of a river in Finland. 🥇🤣🎣
pic.twitter.com/ktCNA54iDu
- BarDown (@BarDown) July 30, 2026
In the video, Puljujarvi attached the medal to a fishing rod and acted as if he were reeling it in from a small body of water in Oulu. It was a perfectly Puljujarvi bit, complete with the wide grin that has long been part of his appeal.
There may be more than just a replacement medal to smile about soon enough. Even though he is under contract to return to Genève-Servette HC next season, Puljujarvi is reportedly trying to work his way back to the NHL. His last NHL action came in the 2024-25 season, when he played five games for the Florida Panthers.
That update came from David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period, who also reported that Puljujarvi’s hips are no longer an issue for the 6-foot-4 winger after a combined three surgeries.
Puljujarvi’s career hasn’t unfolded the way many expected when he was first drafted, but the NHL door doesn’t look closed just yet.
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Russian Stars Absence Leaves International Hockey Facing Unseen Cost
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For a sport that still prides itself on global competition, the absence of Russian teams leaves a visible hole in events that shape the next wave of stars and establish the pecking order among hockey powers. The on-ice consequences are obvious, but the larger question lingers too: how long can international hockey keep drawing its lines this way before the political backdrop starts changing the game itself? [Read more 🡒]