Kaapo Kakko won World Junior gold with Finland earlier this year.
photo: Minas Panagiotakis / HHOF-IIHF Images
Always a contender, Finland is one of the “big six” in hockey, but Suomi comes to Slovakia with so little IIHF and international experience that it’s difficult to know what to expect. Several players have played IIHF events at the junior level, but many are playing a top international tournament for the first time.
Goal
The most glaring question mark comes between the posts. The most accomplished of the three goaltenders for Finland is Veini Vehvilainen, who is only 22 and has never played a top-level event for Finland. He did, however, win a silver with the U18 team in 2015 and a gold with the U20 team the following year, but he is entering new territory as the go-to goalie. Jussi Olkinuora, 28, gave North American hockey a try for several years but never made it to the NHL. He has been playing back in Finland for the last three years but has never played at an IIHF tournament for the Lions. Kevin Lankinen, 24, is a Chicago Blackhawks prospect, and although he played in the SM-Liiga for several years he has no international experience to speak of either.
Defence
The most experienced member of a young and green Finnish defence is 31-year-old Atte Ohtamaa, who is playing in his fifth WM since 2014 (and who also played in PyeongChang last year). He has won two silver medals in those previous appearances, but he will be expected to lead this group that has had much success at the junior level. Fresh off a gold-medal with Finland’s U20 team this past January, 19-year-old Henri Jokiharju will be a key member of the Finnish blue line in Slovakia. He also won gold with the U18 team three years ago. The late-blooming Miika Koivisto is also back. He hadn’t played for Suomi until the 2018 Olympics at the rip old age of 27, but he also played at last year’s Worlds and is now in his third major tournament in the last 15 months. Mikko Lehtonen is another player whose best success was at the junior level, having won gold with the 2014 U20 team. The 25-year-old Petteri Lindbohm is making his WM debut, as is Niko Mikkola, a teammate of Jokiharju with the 2016 U20 team.
Forward
Surprisingly—shockingly?—Finland has but one NHL player up front, 23-year-old Juho Lammikko of the Florida Panthers, who also came from that 2016 U20 gold. Most everyone else plays in the Finnish league. The second-most senior member of the forwards is 33-year-old Veli-Matti Savinainen, who played in the KHL this past season and who had eight points for the Finns at last year’s WM. What is more incredible is that nine of the forwards have never played at the World Championships previously, including 36-year-old Kristian Kuusela. Janne Pesonen is another of that group, and his last experience for Finland was at the 2008 U20. Toni Rajala played in two U18s and three U20s, but the 28-year-old is also at the WM for the first time. But the player to watch for is 18-year-old Kaapo Kakko. He won U18 gold in 2016 and U20 gold as a 17-year-old this past January. If Finland were to win gold here in Slovakia, Kakko would be the youngest player ever to win gold at all three levels of World Championship play (Connor McDavid was 19 when he completed the golden hat trick in 2016).
Coaching
Jukka Jalonen is back with the senior national team, and he comes with plenty of credentials and some impressive history. He is, for instance, one of only two coaches to have won gold at both the top World Championship and the World Junior Championship (along with Mike Babcock of Canada). As well, his memories of Slovakia are fond—he coached the team to gold in 2011 when the tournament was last in Kosice and Bratislava. He also won a bronze medal at the 2010 Olympics with Finland, so he has plenty of experience and success to use this time ‘round.
Projected Results
Always a medal contender, Finland has finished in the top three 13 times in the last 27 years. This year, it has a roster whose collective talents are unknown for the time being. When Finland wins a medal, no one can be surprised, but this year a game on the final weekend is not assured. The goaltending has to play better than it reads on paper, and the inexperienced defence needs to punch above its weight class as well. And the forwards? They have to prove they can score.
Goal
The most glaring question mark comes between the posts. The most accomplished of the three goaltenders for Finland is Veini Vehvilainen, who is only 22 and has never played a top-level event for Finland. He did, however, win a silver with the U18 team in 2015 and a gold with the U20 team the following year, but he is entering new territory as the go-to goalie. Jussi Olkinuora, 28, gave North American hockey a try for several years but never made it to the NHL. He has been playing back in Finland for the last three years but has never played at an IIHF tournament for the Lions. Kevin Lankinen, 24, is a Chicago Blackhawks prospect, and although he played in the SM-Liiga for several years he has no international experience to speak of either.
Defence
The most experienced member of a young and green Finnish defence is 31-year-old Atte Ohtamaa, who is playing in his fifth WM since 2014 (and who also played in PyeongChang last year). He has won two silver medals in those previous appearances, but he will be expected to lead this group that has had much success at the junior level. Fresh off a gold-medal with Finland’s U20 team this past January, 19-year-old Henri Jokiharju will be a key member of the Finnish blue line in Slovakia. He also won gold with the U18 team three years ago. The late-blooming Miika Koivisto is also back. He hadn’t played for Suomi until the 2018 Olympics at the rip old age of 27, but he also played at last year’s Worlds and is now in his third major tournament in the last 15 months. Mikko Lehtonen is another player whose best success was at the junior level, having won gold with the 2014 U20 team. The 25-year-old Petteri Lindbohm is making his WM debut, as is Niko Mikkola, a teammate of Jokiharju with the 2016 U20 team.
Forward
Surprisingly—shockingly?—Finland has but one NHL player up front, 23-year-old Juho Lammikko of the Florida Panthers, who also came from that 2016 U20 gold. Most everyone else plays in the Finnish league. The second-most senior member of the forwards is 33-year-old Veli-Matti Savinainen, who played in the KHL this past season and who had eight points for the Finns at last year’s WM. What is more incredible is that nine of the forwards have never played at the World Championships previously, including 36-year-old Kristian Kuusela. Janne Pesonen is another of that group, and his last experience for Finland was at the 2008 U20. Toni Rajala played in two U18s and three U20s, but the 28-year-old is also at the WM for the first time. But the player to watch for is 18-year-old Kaapo Kakko. He won U18 gold in 2016 and U20 gold as a 17-year-old this past January. If Finland were to win gold here in Slovakia, Kakko would be the youngest player ever to win gold at all three levels of World Championship play (Connor McDavid was 19 when he completed the golden hat trick in 2016).
Coaching
Jukka Jalonen is back with the senior national team, and he comes with plenty of credentials and some impressive history. He is, for instance, one of only two coaches to have won gold at both the top World Championship and the World Junior Championship (along with Mike Babcock of Canada). As well, his memories of Slovakia are fond—he coached the team to gold in 2011 when the tournament was last in Kosice and Bratislava. He also won a bronze medal at the 2010 Olympics with Finland, so he has plenty of experience and success to use this time ‘round.
Projected Results
Always a medal contender, Finland has finished in the top three 13 times in the last 27 years. This year, it has a roster whose collective talents are unknown for the time being. When Finland wins a medal, no one can be surprised, but this year a game on the final weekend is not assured. The goaltending has to play better than it reads on paper, and the inexperienced defence needs to punch above its weight class as well. And the forwards? They have to prove they can score.