Petri Skriko was the very first Finnish player to ever put on a Vancouver Canucks jersey, and boy, did he shine offensively.

Drafted in the eighth round (157th overall) in the 1981 NHL Entry draft, Skriko probably should have gone higher. However, back in 1981, there was worry that Europeans could not match the physical North American style, thus players would not make the jump over to overseas. Which is exactly what Skriko did.

After being drafted in 1981, Skriko stayed in Finland, playing for SaiPa Lappeenranta for the next three seasons. Although, he probably could have made the trip earlier, as during his three seasons in Finland, Skriko scored 67 goals and 65 assists for 132 points in 101 games.

But in 1984, Skriko crossed the Atlantic and joined the Canucks.

In his rookie campaign, Skriko made a solid first impression, scoring 21 goals and 35 points in 72 games. It was the next season when Skriko fully broke out as an NHL star.

Emerging as one of the Canucks’ top offensive forces, Skriko led the team in points, scoring 38 goals and 78 points in 1985-1986. And the train didn’t stop there. Skriko would follow that breakout season with another 33 goals and 71 points in 1986-1987, and another strong season with 33 goals and 64 points in 1987-1988.

The following season, the speedy winger led the team in points again and helped the Canucks make the playoffs for the first time since his rookie year. The Finn also led the team with one goal and six points in their first-round series against the Calgary Flames.

However, his Canucks peak was short-lived, as Skriko declined with a 15-goal, 48-point year. This sparked an early-season trade in 1990, as Skriko was traded to the Boston Bruins in exchange for a second-round pick, which became Michael Peca.

Although short, Skriko’s Canucks career was impactful. His final tally came to 171 goals, 202 assists and 373 points in 402 games played. However, being the first Finn to suit up in a Canucks sweater, along with his consecutive 30-goal seasons as an eighth-round pick, cemented him as one of the Canucks’ best of all time.

Our previously ranked top 50 Canucks of all time:

#50 – Curt Fraser
#49 – Dave Babych
#48 – Martin Gelinas
#47 – Chris Oddleifson
#46 – Jannik Hansen
#45 – Ivan Boldirev
#44 – Gary Smith
#43 – Jacob Markstrom
#42 – Orland Kurtenbach
#41 – Harold Snepsts
#40 – Darcy Rota
#39 – Thatcher Demko
#38 – Geoff Courtnall
#37 – Dennis Ververgaert

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