Finland’s tournament in the under-20 hockey world championships ended in disappointment. Nuoret Leijonat was left out of the medal games for the first time since 2018.
In connection with the Games, there was a lot of talk about Finland’s player material – did the Young Lions have enough good players to succeed in the World Cup?
The Finnish team didn’t win the first round of the NHL. Finland had only two first-round bookings, while Sweden had six.
In terms of the very sharpest point, Finland has had statistically fewer reserved players in recent years than in the past. In 2020 Anton Lundell (b. 2001) was booked in the first round, but no players from the age group born in 2002 were booked.
2021 was also a “zero year” for Finland.
Last summer Joakim Kemell and Brad Lambert booked in the first round, but neither made it to the top ten.
NHL Central Scouting’s chief talent scout for Europe and Ässie’s sports director Janne Vuorinen says that Finland has been in a small backwater stage in recent years in terms of top individuals compared to the boom of the late 2010s.
– There have been two first-round bookings in the previous two drafts and the best ranking is 17, while in previous seasons there were numerous top 10 bookings, i.e. top players in the world in terms of talent, says Vuorinen.
HIFK defender next summer Kasper Halttunen and the Aces striker Lenny Hämeenaho can be called in the first round. This means that Finland gets a maximum of four first-place ratings from four age groups (02–05), none of which is in the top ten.
– Yes, I would be a little worried about whether our system produces the world’s top players.
According to Vuorinen, age groups in Finland are currently somewhat evenly distributed, of which 2005 is an example.
– There are a few very potential top players in the class of 2006, but it would certainly be desirable if more top players of international level would grow from the background. We need more scope on the solution front, Vuorinen continues.
2023: Kasper Halttunen, Lenni Hämeenaho?
2022: 2 (Joakim Kemell 17th, Brad Lambert 30th)
2021: 0
2020: 1 (Anton Lundell* 12:s)
2019: 3 (Kaapo Kakko 2nd, Lassi Thomson 19th, Ville Heinola 20th)
2018: 2 (Jesperi Kotkaniemi 3rd, Rasmus Kupari 20th)
2017: 6 (Miro Heiskanen 3rd, Juuso Välimäki 16th, Urho Vaakanainen 18th, Kristian Vesalainen 24th, Henri Jokiharju 29th, Eeli Tolvanen 30th).
2016: 4 (Patrik Laine 2nd, Jesse Puljujärvi 4th, Olli Juolevi 5th, Henrik Borgström* 23rd).
2015: 1 (Mikko Rantanen’s 10th).
2014: 2 (Julius Honka 14th, Kasperi Kapanen 22nd).
2013: 2 (Aleksander Barkov 2nd, Rasmus Ristolainen 8th).
*= booked later than own age group.
European talent scout for Seattle Kraken Sasu Hovin according to Finland’s situation in player production has been at an ok level in recent years. According to him, the level of an average player is high.
– That’s why Finland always has a chance to do well in the Games. Of course, in the development of top individuals, you have to remember that Finland is a pretty small country and you can’t always beat them from here. There will be years when there are no top friends.
Has a long career as a player observer and sports director Jukka Holtari reminds that the discussion about players is not a new thing. He remembers clearly Erkka Westerlundin organized by Suomi-kieko’s future seminar in Vierumäki in 2009.
At that time, Holtari lectured more than 200 listeners about the low number and quality of NHL bookings. The situation was worrying.
Westerlund made a report on the seminar. According to it, the primary development goal of Suomi-kieko became the development of the individual: the priorities are playing courage, playing skill and physical characteristics.
The seminar has been talked about in the media as a turning point for Finnish hockey. Holtari takes this as calmly as individual weaker years in terms of NHL bookings.
– In a longer perspective, fluctuation is a natural part of the matter. I believe that one three minutes at the end of the match will save Finnish player development as little as one meeting in 2009 will save Finnish ice hockey. It’s good that things are brought up, says Holtari.
In the World Cup quarter-final against Sweden, Finland was still in the lead three minutes before the end. If the lead had been maintained, we would be talking about medal opportunities at the moment, and not the player production of Suomi-kieko.
What will the future generations look like?
Holtari reminds that years are different in other countries as well. According to experts, for example, Sweden will receive three to five first-round bookings next summer.
– I’m not worried. There have been wave movements since the beginning and there will always be in the future. Aalto seems to be a little bit ahead of us in time, and it may be that there will be a small ups and downs in the next couple of years as well. Only time will tell.
Regarding the 2024 reservation event, Finland’s super promise Aron Kiviharjua has been promoted to the top and also From Konsta Helenius for the first round. Kiviharju and Helenius were born in 2006.
Finland’s under-16 national team, i.e. the age group born in 2007, has already played on international fields in two tournaments. Holtari went to watch Finland’s matches against Sweden in Oulu.
Finland won one and lost two matches. The joint goals were recorded for Sweden 15-6.
– The age group of those born in 2007 did not make a super impact, but they are playing their first national team events. It was certainly eye-opening for the Finnish players as well, when the demands of the game doubled.
One way to develop players is to shorten the youth championship series. This year there were 24 teams in the preliminary series. Although there will be four fewer teams next year, the initial series is undeniably large for a country the size of Finland.
– I would condense the series in order to create high-quality games, says Sasu Hovi.
Hovi also thinks Mest is a good series for promising youngsters. He sees that it would be good to allow the players to develop in Mestis, even though, according to him, the clubs have wanted to develop teams under the age of 20 and their everyday life.
– It’s important that the everyday work remains good, but it’s easy to assume that the playing system for young people is similar to the league and it curtails individual freedoms. That way even top individuals get bored.
– That’s why I would allow them to play more Mestis games, different styles of coaching and game systems. I could see it developing the individual.
Huotari sees that Finnish hockey has always found ways to improve. He is confident that this will continue to happen.
– The league has already had to be destroyed 73 times and the national team’s operations have had to be like this. They have always found ways to survive in an ever-changing competitive environment.