Finland (3-1-0-1) advanced to the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship Semifinals in Ottawa following a 5-3 win over Slovakia (1-1-0-2). It was an impressive showing for Finland, which scored five goals on 18 shots, or a 28% success rate. Meanwhile, Finland’s netminder stopped Slovakia when his country needed him most, which he had done throughout the tournament. Finland might need a similar game plan this weekend, with some of the top teams in the tournament still looming in the next round.
Finland’s Quick Strike Offense Ability on Display
Finland showcased the ability to strike quickly and often in the quarterfinal contest against Slovakia. Forward Jesse Nurmi drove a loose puck to the net that was swatted home by Jesse Kiiskinen 1:10 into the opening period for a 1-0 lead. Two-and-a-half minutes later, Nurmi scored to provide Finland a 2-0 advantage in a quick start to the contest. Team Finland scored three times on seven shots against Slovakia’s starter, Alan Lendak. Backup netminder Samuel Urban appeared in relief after the first intermission.
In the four round-robin games for Finland, Kiiskinen proved to be the most reliable scorer, finishing with a team-leading three goals (and zero assists). Those three points also led the team as Finland presented balanced scoring during the opening week. Seventeen different members of the Finnish roster collected at least one point over the first four games.
On Thursday, 10 different members of Finland’s roster collected a point in the contest. In contrast, only six members of Slovakia added a point for their country in the quarterfinal loss. Nurmi led the way with his three points on the night, and three other members of Finland’s roster enjoyed a multi-point outing.
Slovakia Did Not Quit Pushing Despite Trailing Multiple Goals
Team Slovakia entered the final period trailing 4-1 but never stopped pushing for offense. The red-colored jerseys fired 26 shots toward the opposition net in the final two periods. Overall, Slovakia nearly doubled up Finland in shots, 35-18.
Related: Germany Wins WJC Relegation Game over Kazakhstan, 4-3
The trailing team pulled the netminder down two goals, 4-2, with over seven minutes remaining, providing an extended man-advantage opportunity to finish the game. Finland’s goalie, Petteri Rimpinen, withstood the barrage of pucks from Slovakia for several minutes before Dalibor Dvorsky’s score made it a one-goal game again. Finland’s Nurmi ended the scoring with a shot past Urban to finish the scoring with two minutes remaining.
Dvorsky, a St. Louis Blues prospect, has been excellent the entire tournament as he led his team to the knockout round with a team-leading four goals and three assists for seven points. He added a goal and an assist in the loss to increase his tournament total to nine points.
Finland’s Rimpinen Has Been One of Tournament’s Best Goalies
Through the first four games of the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship, the 18-year-old goaltender from Kirkkonummi, Finland has been outstanding for his home country. Thunder Bay’s Carter George finished the round-robin schedule with impressive statistics – a 1.01 GAA and a 96% save percentage in three games.
Right behind Canada’s goalie is Finland’s Rimpinen, who has played all four games of the tournament (before the quarterfinals) with a 1.76 GAA and a .950 stop rate. In the first knockout game, Rimpinen stopped 32-of-35 shots for a .910 save percentage against Slovakia.
As Ottawa wraps up this year’s IIHF World Junior Championship, Emil Hemming and Team Finland will return to the ice on Saturday and Sunday to battle an undetermined opponent (as of press time). The matchups will be decided upon the finish of the in-progress battle between Czechia and Canada at the Canadian Tire Centre.
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