Roope Hintz is unable to join the team due to an injury. One World Cup pass has yet to be stamped.
Joel Sippola,
Jussi Saarinen
16.5. 15:47 • Updated May 16th. 15:54
The Lions got good news on Monday when the 22-year-old star defender for Dallas Stars Miro Heiskanen announced his desire to join the World Cup team. The Dallas NHL season, represented by Heiskanen, ended on Monday morning in the first round. Galgary defeated Dallas in the decisive seventh game in extra time with a score of 3–2.
The strikers are also playing in Dallas Roope Hintz and Joel Kiviranta as well as defenders Esa Lindell and Jani Hakanpää.
Lions GM Jere Lehtinen tells Sports that Heiskan had a strong desire to join the World Cup team despite the big disappointment in the NHL.
– Of course, he was very disappointed when he lost in the stand-alone game and overtime. However, he realizes that there is a chance to win at home races. There is plenty of power, even though he has played nearly half a game per game at times, Lehtinen points to Heiskanen’s huge game load in Dallas.
Heiskanen arrives in Tampere on Thursday when Leijon has a break.
– He’ll have a moment here when he leaves Galgary for home. There (in Dallas) the necessary protocols need to be maintained. It may be a day or two, but by Thursday he will be here.
Heiskanen will be seen in real action on Friday, when Finland will face Great Britain in their fifth group match.
Heiskanen, who has played in the NHL for four seasons, is known for his excellent skating and puck qualities. Heiskanen’s offensive head potential is illustrated by the fact that he scored six goals and 26 points in 27 games in the playoffs two years ago.
Heiskanen last played in Leijon at the 2018 World Championships.
– Everyone knows that he is one of the best in his place. He is a skating defender who plays from night to night against the best of his opponents. Miro will strengthen our team greatly.
Hintz did not attend the World Cup due to injury
Lehtinen confirmed the expected information that he did not knock 72 points in the regular season Roope Hintz join the Lions. The Finnish center was sidelined from the decisive seventh game due to injury.
– It must be a pretty big injury to not be able to play the seventh game. Roop had a big desire to come, but that’s the kind of sport there is.
With Heiskanen, the Finnish team now has 24 players. One race pass is still unstamped.
The lion now has a pile of 13 strikers, eight defenders and three goalkeepers. One possible option is for the Lions to be stamped by a TPS striker waiting for the race pass to be stamped from the start of the race. Markus Nurmen.
The situation of other Dallas defenders, Esa Lindell and Jani Hakanpää, for example, is still open. Each player would be a big piece of defense in the team.
According to Lehtinen, Leijon has no deadline for stamping the last race pass.
– Here we live in an instant. The big picture is in mind, but here we go day by day. There is no deadline.