Kaapo Kakko
A Finnish scoring phenom whose sublime hands and hockey IQ made him a coveted NHL draft prize and a key piece for a championship contender.
Born 2001 (age 25)·Finnish ice hockey player·Birthday: February 13·Generation Z
Biography
Kaapo Kakko arrived on the NHL stage with the weight of a hockey-mad nation on his shoulders and the skill to immediately justify the hype. In Finland, he was a prodigy, breaking records in the top-tier Liiga as a teenager with TPS, his combination of size, soft hands, and a scorer's instinct drawing comparisons to countrymen like Sebastian Aho. The New York Rangers selected him second overall in 2019, viewing him as a cornerstone winger for their revival. His rookie season was a display of flashes—moments of brilliant puck protection and clever playmaking that hinted at a dominant future. As his game matured, he evolved into a powerful, two-way force, using his large frame to control play along the walls and in front of the net. A trade to the Seattle Kraken opened a new chapter, offering him a central role to fully unleash the offensive talent that made him a household name in Finland before he could legally drive.
Generation Z
1997–2012
Born into smartphones, social media, and school shootings. The most diverse generation in history. Pragmatic about money, fluid about identity, anxious about the climate. They do not remember a world before the internet.
Kaapo was born in 2001, placing them squarely in the Generation Z. The events that shaped this generation — social media, climate anxiety, and a pandemic — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Kaapo Was Born
The biggest hits of 2001
#1 Movie
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
Best Picture
A Beautiful Mind
#1 TV Show
Survivor
Kaapo's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
2001Born
September 11 attacks transform the world
Gas: $1.46/galHome: $126,400Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Hanging by a Moment" — LifehouseBest Picture: A Beautiful Mind
2006Started school
Twitter launches; Pluto reclassified as dwarf planet
Gas: $2.59/galHome: $174,700Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Bad Day" — Daniel PowterBest Picture: The Departed
2014Became a teenager
Russia annexes Crimea; Ebola outbreak in West Africa
Gas: $3.37/galHome: $160,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Happy" — Pharrell WilliamsBest Picture: Birdman
2017Could drive
#MeToo movement; solar eclipse crosses the US
Gas: $2.42/galHome: $195,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Shape of You" — Ed SheeranBest Picture: The Shape of Water
2019Could vote
First image of a black hole; Hong Kong protests
Gas: $2.60/galHome: $224,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Old Town Road" — Lil Nas XBest Picture: Parasite
2022Turned 21
Russia invades Ukraine; Queen Elizabeth II dies
Gas: $3.97/galHome: $348,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"As It Was" — Harry StylesBest Picture: Everything Everywhere All at Once
2026Age 25 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Drafted 2nd overall by the New York Rangers in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft.
- Won a gold medal with Finland at the IIHF World Championship in 2022, leading the tournament in goals.
- Broke Aleksander Barkov's record for most goals by a U18 player in the Finnish Liiga.
- Played a top-six role for the Rangers during their run to the Eastern Conference Final in 2022.
Did You Know?
He scored the gold-medal-winning goal for Finland at the 2019 IIHF World Junior Championship.
His full name is Kaapo Ville Olavi Kakko.
He made his professional debut at age 17 with TPS in the Finnish Liiga.
He wears jersey number 24, which he also wore in New York.
“I want to be a complete player who can help the team win games.”
