Finland starts its game in the Czech Republic next Friday.
5.5. 17:25•Updated 5.5. 19:11
The head coach Jukka Jalonen has named the Finnish men’s national ice hockey team for the spring World Championships.
There are forwards from the NHL Mikael Granlund, Jesse Puljujärvi and Valtteri Puustinen and defender Olli Määttä. In the group named by Jalonen, there are seven men’s world champions and ten first-timers at the World Championship level.
The core of the team is 17 years old Konsta Heleniuswhich already has the under-18 and under-20 World Cups for this season.
22 outfield players and three goalkeepers can be named to the World Cup team. The first race passes will be stamped on Thursday, the eve of the race.
– Of course, we will still follow the night match of the NHL playoffs, but the starting point is that the group announced today will play in the games, GM Jere Lehtinen said in Leijoni’s press release.
With his comment, Lehtinen referred to the stoppage game of the opening round of the NHL playoffs between the Dallas Stars and the Vegas Golden Knights, which will be played on Monday morning Finnish time. The forwards play in the ranks of Dallas Roope Hintz and defenders Miro Heiskanen, Esa Lindell and Jani Hakanpää.
Finland’s team
Goalkeepers
29 Harri Säteri, EHC Biel, NLA
30 Lassi Lehtinen, MoDo Hockey, SHL
32 Emil Larmi, Växjö Lakers HC, SHL
Defenders
2 Rasmus Rissanen, Örebro HK, SHL
3 Olli Määttä, Detroit Red Wings, NHL
4 Mikko Lehtonen, ZSC Lions, NLA
7 Oliwer Kaski, HV71, SHL
18 Vili Saarijärvi, SCL Tigers, NLA
33 Veli-Matti Vittasmäki, Tappara Tampere
50 Juuso Riikola, SCL Tigers, NLA
82 Jesper Mattila, KalPa Kuopio
Attackers
12 Jere Innala, Frölunda HC, SHL
15 Juha Jääskä, HIFK Helsinki
19 Konsta Helenius, Jukurit Mikkeli
21 Patrik Puistola, Jukurit Mikkeli
24 Hannes Björninen, Örebro HK, SHL
25 Pekka Jormakka, Jukurit Mikkeli
39 Jesse Puljujärvi, Pittsburgh Penguins, NHL
48 Valtteri Puustinen, Pittsburgh Penguins, NHL
57 Arttu Hyry, Kärpät Oulu
64 Mikael Granlund, San Jose Sharks, NHL
71 Ahti Oksanen, IK Oskarshamn, SHL
79 Oliver Kapanen, KalPa Kuopio
80 Saku Mäenalanen, SCL Tigers, NLA
81 Iiro Pakarinen, HIFK Helsinki
The Ice Hockey World Cup tournament will be played from 10 to 26 May in Prague and Ostrava, Czech Republic. Finland plays in the initial group in Prague with Canada, the Czech Republic, Switzerland, Denmark, Norway, Austria and Great Britain.
The spring WC tournament is Jukka Jalonen’s last at the helm of the national team. In the next season, he will be the pilot of the Lions Antti Pennanen.