The road to gold in Gothenburg, Sweden, is just one final sleep away. Team Finland was one of the last teams to announce their roster, but they have announced a defence and goalie-heavy lineup. While Finland comes with a deep roster overall, they don’t have a star forward in Joakim Kemell. He has been lighting up the American Hockey League (AHL) with a near-point-per-game pace. This dominance has led to him being kept in the AHL to continue his development as a future NHL star.
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Team Finland isn’t relying on one forward to carry the entire team to victory; the entire forward core will be expected to step up in Kemell’s absence. Forwards like Jani Nyman, Lenni Hameenaho, and Kasper Halttunen will be who you want to watch to see if they’re going to be the top scorers for Team Finland. Goaltenders Noa Vali and Niklas Kokko will battle it out and determine who will be the starter for Team Finland. Defensemen Otto Salin, Kasper Kulonummi, and Arttu Karki will be anchors on the Finnish blue line.
Finland’s quest for gold will be a challenge this year, as they are placed in a tough Group A with Canada, Sweden, Germany, and Latvia. Sweden, Canada, the US, and Czechia will all pose a challenge to Finland’s hopes for gold this year. Finland’s roster is loaded and they’re ready to compete this year. They haven’t won gold since 2019 and their last medal was a silver medal in 2022. =
It’s Kokko’s Net to Lose
This is Kokko’s net to lose this year. He was the backup at last year’s tournament to Jani Lampinen who stole the crease with a 1.66 goals-against average (GAA) and a .933 save percentage (SV%). He aged out and is now unable to return for Team Finland, leaving Kokko and Vali to battle for the crease this year. Goaltending has always been a mystery at this tournament because a goaltender who was third on the depth charts could explode and become the starter, and that’s why I wouldn’t count out Eemil Vinni either.
The three goaltenders will have had their fair share of seeing who will be the starter come Finland’s first game versus Team Canada. It will be a tall task, but we’ve seen every year that goaltenders can rise to the occasion in high-pressure situations.
Karki, Kulonummi, and Salin Look To Anchor The Finnish Blueline
Finland’s defence is arguably one of the more offensively inclined defence corps at the 2024 WJC. They have multiple defensemen who can make a case to be Finland’s number-one guy at this year’s tournament. Kulonummi is a great offensive defenseman who can settle into a more defensive role when needed. He’s great at transitioning between zones, but he sometimes gets caught in situations where he’s racing back to the defensive zone. Given the right partner, the 6-foot-1 defenseman could look great at this year’s tournament.
Related: 2024 Guide to the World Junior Championship
The same can’t be said for Salin; he’s a stronger two-way defenseman who possesses elite skating and passing. Additionally, his puck-moving is unmatched compared to the defensemen on the roster. This will all benefit him as he’s called upon to play a big role for Finland. The only downside to him is being a 5-foot-10 defenseman, although what he lacks in size he makes up for in physicality, something that will benefit Finland this year.
Finally, Finland will call upon Karki to play a big role in this year’s tournament. The 6-foot-2 offensive defenseman is a quality shooter and skater, not to mention that the best part of his game is when he’s joining the rush and moving the puck to get shots through traffic. While he isn’t the strongest defenseman, his offensive talents will contribute to Finland’s scoring massively. Given the landscape of the 2024 WJC, Finland will rely on their two-way players, regardless of position, to help the team.
Nyman, Hameenaho, and Halttunen Will Battle to Be Finland’s Top Scorer
Finland has an interesting spot to fill in their lineup this year, as previously mentioned, Kemell was not loaned to Team Finland. This opens a spot for another player to rise to the occasion and become Finland’s top scorer. The 6-foot-4 Nyman is tied for second in scoring among all Liiga skaters. Currently with 14 goals on the season, he’s already a strong candidate for Finland’s top scorer. Additionally, he’s one of Finland’s biggest scoring threats on the power play. He has a large frame and uses it to his advantage to be a powerful winger and it all benefits the team he’s playing for when he’s on the power play.
Similarly to Nyman, Hameenaho isn’t too far behind in Liiga’s scoring race with 11 goals. This could easily help Finland fill the scoring gap left behind by Kemell. Hameenaho stands at 6-foot, is versatile in any given role, and highly physical when battling for loose pucks. Additionally, he’s strong at setting screens and great at tipping pucks in or finding loose pucks off the rebound. Finland will almost certainly use his effective two-way abilities on both their penalty kill and powerplay units as his talents are invaluable.
Halttunen is another strong scorer, but unlike Nyman and Hameenaho, Halttunen is playing in the Ontario Hockey League for the London Knights. His scoring rate is impressive too, scoring 20 goals and 31 points in 28 games. The 6-foot-4 right winger will provide stability, depth, experience and leadership to this roster. He has a significant presence on the ice and is always looking to improve, which is seen from his jump to the OHL from Liiga. His shot and skating are incredibly impressive for his size and he could be a thorn in many teams’ sides this year. He plays like a power forward and defends like a shutdown defenseman. All of these attributes that are mentioned above about Halttunen will certainly be invaluable to Team Finland in their quest for a medal at this year’s WJC.
