Finnish defender Miro Heiskanen will play his second IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship after his arrival from the Dallas Stars today.
photo: Matt Zambonin / HHOF-IIHF Images
Dallas Stars defenders Miro Heiskanen and Esa Lindell joined the Finnish men’s national team in Tampere on Thursday after their arrival had been confirmed by Finnish GM Jere Lehtinen.
The players arrived from Dallas today and joined the team at Nokia Arena. Heiskanen built a defensive pair with Mikael Seppala at the ice practice while Lindell is expected to play with Atte Ohtamaa according to media reports.
Heiskanen, 22, was the Stars’ ice time leader averaging 24:53 per game. In 70 regular-season games he registered 5 goals, 31 assists and a +3 rating. The Espoo native moved from Helsinki IFK to Dallas in 2018 and concluded his fourth season with Dallas, who picked him third overall in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft. Before moving over Heiskanen played the World Juniors, the Olympics and the World Championship in the same season in 2017/2018. It will be his second Worlds.
Helsinki native Lindell, 27, moved to Texas in 2015 and finished his seventh season with Dallas. He was fourth in ice time and in points among defenders registering 4 goals, 21 assists and had the best +/- rating among defenders on his team, +4. It will be his third World Championship and his first since winning silver in 2016. Lindell was also part of the gold-winning World Juniors team in 2014.
Once the two new players will be registered to participate at the 2022 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship, Finland will have a full tournament roster with three goalkeepers, nine defenders and 13 forwards. With the new arrivals TPS Turku forward Markus Nurmi, who has practised with the team, won’t be registered for the event.
Finland will play Great Britain on Friday at 16:20 local time.
The players arrived from Dallas today and joined the team at Nokia Arena. Heiskanen built a defensive pair with Mikael Seppala at the ice practice while Lindell is expected to play with Atte Ohtamaa according to media reports.
Heiskanen, 22, was the Stars’ ice time leader averaging 24:53 per game. In 70 regular-season games he registered 5 goals, 31 assists and a +3 rating. The Espoo native moved from Helsinki IFK to Dallas in 2018 and concluded his fourth season with Dallas, who picked him third overall in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft. Before moving over Heiskanen played the World Juniors, the Olympics and the World Championship in the same season in 2017/2018. It will be his second Worlds.
Helsinki native Lindell, 27, moved to Texas in 2015 and finished his seventh season with Dallas. He was fourth in ice time and in points among defenders registering 4 goals, 21 assists and had the best +/- rating among defenders on his team, +4. It will be his third World Championship and his first since winning silver in 2016. Lindell was also part of the gold-winning World Juniors team in 2014.
Once the two new players will be registered to participate at the 2022 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship, Finland will have a full tournament roster with three goalkeepers, nine defenders and 13 forwards. With the new arrivals TPS Turku forward Markus Nurmi, who has practised with the team, won’t be registered for the event.
Finland will play Great Britain on Friday at 16:20 local time.