Leo Komarov

Leonid Aleksandrovich Komarov (Russian: Леонид Александрович Комаров,, Leonid Aleksandrovich Komarov; born 23 January 1987) is an Estonian-born Finnish–Russian professional ice hockey centre currently playing for and an alternate captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs of the National Hockey League (NHL). A natural centre early in his career, Komarov has made the transition to being able to play all three forward positions.

Raised in Finland, Komarov is the first Estonian-born player in the NHL. Komarov was a member of the gold medal-winning Finnish national team in the 2011 IIHF World Championship.

Playing career
After playing with different junior teams, Komarov started his career in the SM-liiga with Ässät. After winning a silver medal with Ässät in 2006, he moved to Pelicans. After his season with Ässät, he was chosen in the sixth round of the 2006 NHL Entry Draft, 180th overall, by the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Komarov captained Finland at the 2007 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships in Leksand and Mora, Sweden.

During the 2009–10 season, Komarov played with Dynamo Moscow of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL).

Komarov won a gold medal with Finland at the 2011 IIHF World Championships in Bratislava and Košice, Slovakia.

In May 2012, Komarov agreed to terms with the Toronto Maple Leafs for the 2012–13 season. The reported value of his contract was $1.2 million, including bonuses. He played his first career NHL game on 19 January 2013, and he scored his first NHL goal, a game winner, against the Montreal Canadiens on 9 February 2013.

After one season with the Maple Leafs, Komarov left the NHL to sign a one-year contract to return with Dynamo Moscow in June 2013, with the ambition to make the Finnish 2014 Winter Olympic squad in a more offensive role with Dynamo; he made the roster, also serving as an alternate captain.

Despite signing with Dynamo Moscow, Komarov stated that he was not done with the NHL, and a year later, on 1 July 2014, he signed a four-year deal worth $2.9 million per season to return to the Toronto Maple Leafs. Komarov played well following the signing, recording 4 goals and 16 assists in his first 23 games of the season, as well as 99 hits, good enough for third in the league as of late November. However, a blindside hit from former Dynamo Moscow linemate Alexander Ovechkin on November 29 left Komarov with concussion issues, and he would score at a lackluster pace for the rest of the season.

Komarov would rebound the next season and excel under new head coach Mike Babcock. Komarov, who previously played on Toronto's 2nd, 3rd lines and 4th lines, was now experiencing top line duties (taking Phil Kessel's spot), and occasionally reprising his role on the second. He led the Maple Leafs in goals and points up to the Christmas break. Shortly after, he was named to the 2016 NHL All-Star Game on 6 January 2016, in reward for his strong play. Komarov's production declined in the latter half of the season, partially due to the loss of teammate James van Riemsdyk in January to injury. Despite this, Komarov finished the year third in team scoring with 36 points, behind only P.A. Parenteau and Nazem Kadri.

Personal
Komarov was born in Narva, then part of the Estonian SSR of the Soviet Union, to Russian parents. When he was five years old, Komarov's family moved to the Swedish-speaking town of Nykarleby, Finland, when his father Alexander Komarov accepted a contract to play ice hockey there. Because his father was of Ingranian-Finish descent, the family was able to permanently reside there. Leo Komarov also holds dual Russian-Finnish citizenship.

Komarov is multi-lingual and can speak four languages: Swedish, Finnish, Russian and English.

Komarov is married to Juulia Manner. The pair tied the knot on 2 July 2016 in Suomenlinna part of Helsinki, Finland, after dating for 10 years. Among the guests were Maple Leafs teammates Nazem Kadri, Michael Grabner and Rich Clune.

Awards and honours

 * 2009 – First Channel Cup
 * 2010 – Winner SHHI
 * 2011 – IIHF World Champion
 * 2011 – Medal "For military cooperation"
 * 2011 – KHL All-Star Game participant
 * 2012 – Gagarin Cup
 * First Estonian born NHL player
 * 2016 – NHL All-Star