After coming up a game short of medaling in the 2024 World Junior Championship (WJC) and losing the bronze medal game to Team Czechia, Finland looks to regain its medal position this year at the 2025 tournament. A team that will be loaded with NHL prospects, who could be representing Finland at the 2025 WJC?
Finland’s Forwards
| Left Wing | Center | Right Wing |
| Tobias Hynninen | Konsta Helenius | Kasper Haltunnen |
| Julius Miettinen | Rasmus Kumpilainen | Emil Hemming |
| Jesse Nurmi | Joona Saarelainen | Jesse Kiiskinen |
| Emil Kuusla | Lauri Sinivouri | Heikki Ruohonen |
| Tomas Uronen |
A top-six with a ton of firepower will likely headline the forward group. With five of the six predicted players in the lineup being NHL draft picks, this grouping will be relied upon heavily. Returning players Konsta Helenius (Buffalo Sabres 2024 first-round pick), Kasper Halttunen (San Jose Sharks 2023 second-round pick), and Emil Hemming (Dallas Stars 2024 first-round pick), will all look to help get Finland back into a medal position after failing to do so in the past two WJC tournaments.
A handful of players, including Jesse Nurmi, Jesse Kiiskinen, and Joona Saarelainen, all had strong showings at this summer’s World Junior Summer Showcase (WJSS); the middle line will be one that should provide some significant secondary offense. Kiiskinen, initially drafted by the Nashville Predators in 2023 before being traded to the Detroit Red Wings before 2024’s draft, has carried the momentum he built at the WJSS (where he wore the captain “C”) and has been one of the strongest players in Liiga this season, tallying 16 points in 18 games played for a weaker HPK team.
The fourth line of the forward grouping will end up consisting of Emil Kuusla, who is another player who had a strong showing at the WJSS and opened the eyes of many before heading back to Jokerit of the Mestis league for his second full season with the organization and continuing his strong play (nine points in 13 games played). On top of this is the 10 points he has tallied in 11 international games at the Under-20 level this year for his home country.
The last two spots in the forward lineup go to players who have made their way to North America to play junior hockey. Lauri Sinivouri moved to the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) after being selected by the Oshawa Generals in the 2024 Canadian Hockey League (CHL) Import Draft. While he has been more known to be a physical presence on the ice, his game has translated well in the OHL. He has tallied 14 points in 22 games with the Generals and has shown off solid playmaking skills that will help him be a strong bottom-line player for Finland. With Heikki Ruohonen (Philadelphia Flyers 2024 fourth-round pick) jumping from Finland to the Dubuque Fighting Saints of the United States Hockey League (USHL), he has made a strong impact in his first North American season. He is another player who will help bring some size and extra physicality to the bottom of the forward lineup.
Related: 2025 World Junior Championship Schedule Released
The extra forward is Tomas Uronen, a Vegas Golden Knights prospect, who has had a strong season with the Ottawa 67s of the OHL. Kasper Pikkarainen would be a sure pick for the Finnish team if not for being limited to one game this season due to a lower-body injury.
Finland’s Defense
| Left Defense | Right Defense |
| Aron Kiviharju | Emil Pieniniemi |
| Kalle Kangas | Sebastian Soini |
| Veeti Väisänen | Mitja Jokinen |
| Niklas Nykyri |
The defensive unit will rely heavily on their top pairing of Aron Kiviharju and Emil Pieniniemi. Kiviharju, a 2024 Minnesota Wild draft pick, will be making his way to the U-20 WJC after holding the captaincy for the U-18 team last year. He has already topped his point total from last season with HPK of Liiga and will be a driving force offensively from the backend of the ice with Pieniniemi. Pieniniemi is another Finnish-born player who has made his way to the OHL this season with the Kingston Frontenacs. The 2023 Pittsburgh Penguins draft pick is a fast riser within the organization’s prospect ranks and has showcased his playmaking abilities with the puck on his stick with the Frontenacs. He and Kiviharju should make for a strong duo on the top-pairing and feed off each other’s play styles.
With Kalle Kangas (Penguins) and Sebastian Soini (Wild), the Finnish team has two towering defensemen to handle the second-pairing. Neither has lit up the scoresheet this season in Liiga, but they would help alleviate the pressure off Kiviharju and Pieniniemi at times. The third pairing is a bit of a toss-up. After being selected in the 2024 Draft by the Utah Hockey Club, Veeti Väisänen has had a slow start with the Medicine Hat Tigers of the Western Hockey League (WHL), but his experience at the international level with Finland, including the U-20 WJC last year, help give him an edge. Mitja Jokinen has jumped to Liiga this season and has been solid enough to help man the last pairing on the roster. The extra defenseman, Niklas Nykyri, earned a “C” grade (third-round grade) in the NHL Central Scouting’s preliminary players to watch and could earn himself a spot on the U-20 team after playing with the U-18 WJC team last year.
Finland’s Goalies
| Eemil Vinni |
| Kim Saarinen |
| Visa Vedenpää |
Team Finland Will Be Top Heavy
Overall, this prediction for Team Finland’s 2025 WJC roster heavily relies upon their star-studded forward grouping and the presumed top defensive pairing. If they want to get back into medal position after missing out on the last two tournaments, they will need their stars and experienced players to step up in a big way.
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