Skriko...we could use you now

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Soapy
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Skriko...we could use you now

Post by Soapy »

Skriko was a teenage phenom in Finland for his hometown club SaiPa Lappeenranta as he emerged as a star at the age of 18 and was named the SM-Liiga Rookie of the Year in 1981. That summer, he was drafted into the NHL by the Vancouver Canucks as the 157th pick in the 1981 NHL Entry Draft.

In ensuing seasons, his stock continued to rise as he developed into one of the top players in Finland. He dominated the 1982 World Junior Championships - earning top forward honours with 15 points in 7 games - and turned in stellar performances at the 1983 World Championships and the 1984 Olympics. In 1983–84, he was named to the SM-Liiga All-star team.

For the 1984–85 season, Skriko signed with the Canucks and came to North America. He enjoyed a solid rookie season, finishing with 21 goals and 35 points in 72 games, good for 8th on the team in scoring.

In 1985–86, Skriko emerged as a star for the Canucks, leading the team with 78 points. For the next 4 seasons, he was one of the team's top players and would delight Canuck fans with his speed and skill. From 1985–89 he recorded four consecutive 30-goal seasons, and led the Canucks in scoring twice. In November 1986 he recorded three hat tricks in eight days, and became the first-ever Canuck named NHL Player of the Month.

However, in 1989–90 his scoring touch mysteriously deserted him, and he slumped to just 15 goals and 48 points. After a slow start to the 1990–91 season, Skriko was dealt to the Boston Bruins for a draft pick. His play picked up somewhat in Boston, as he recorded 19 points in 28 games for the Bruins, and added 8 more points in the playoffs en route to the Conference Finals.

In 1991–92 he would struggle worse than ever, and was dealt again to the Winnipeg Jets, ultimately finishing the season with just 3 goals in 24 games. He signed with the San Jose Sharks for 1992–93, but was released two months into the season and returned to Europe.

After a brief stint back in the SM-Liiga, Skriko moved to the Danish league with Herning IK in 1993. He would be one of the best players ever to play in Denmark, helping his team to four championships and earning two Player of the Year honours. He would retire in 1999, but continue on as the team's head coach, winning another title in that capacity in 2001. He would then return to Finland to coach SaiPa for three seasons.

In 9 seasons in the NHL, Skriko recorded 183 goals and 222 assists for 405 points in 541 games, along with 246 penalty minutes. Including his time in Europe, he would spend 20 seasons as a pro, recording over 1200 points in 1000+ games.
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sk8er
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Post by sk8er »

I loved Petri skriko when he played with the Canucks. I always wondered what happened to him. Loved his name too!
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Post by randymeeks »

Good for Skriko that he did well as a coach.
38 years without a Stanley Cup and counting.
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Re: Skriko...we could use you now

Post by Soapy »

He ended up with Boston......he was a huge favorite here,,,,#26....
The media does not do enough with our lovable loser favorites.....we had some great players....if Hlinka or Skriko played in Freakin TO they would be in the hall of fame.....
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ClamRussel
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Re: Skriko...we could use you now

Post by ClamRussel »

Was always a mystery to me how he lost his offensive touch. :? I remember his last season or two here how pathetic it was where he'd come off the wing and take his "once deadly" snap/wrist shot. In the end it was pathetic and predictable. He totally lost it. In a small way, Naslund kind of looked that way the past couple of seasons as his once seeing-eye wrist shot all but dried up. Its almost hard to believe how accurate Nazzy's shot was, quick release and "ping" it in off the post top corner. Skriko's was right up there too in his prime.

Wow, his career was way too short. Hard to believe he could rattle off all those 30 goal seasons and then... nothing?
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Cannie
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Re: Skriko...we could use you now

Post by Cannie »

Funny with Skriko, they didn't call him "Streak" for nothing...he was truly a boom and bust player. I remember Skriko would be outright invisible for weeks at a time, during his prime, but now we all remember the times in which Petri was truly magnificent, like when he scored like 11 goals in 4 games that one November.

Still, good memories of #26.

Cannie
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