The European-based players on the Finnish national junior team arrived back home on Tuesday morning with silver medals around their necks. One of the more popular players with Finnish media was goaltender Petteri Rimpinen, who was voted the tournament’s best goaltender by both the tournament directorate and accredited media at the recently completed IIHF World Junior Championship.

It can also make Rimpinen and the other Finns eligible to return to next year’s World Juniors in Minnesota hungry for gold., of course,” Rimpinen said about any disappointment over losing the final 4-3 in overtime to the USA, according to Finnish media outlet MTV. “The guys can be satisfied with this silver medal in that it will leave them hungry enough for the rest of the season.”

It can also make Rimpinen and the other Finns eligible to return to next year’s World Juniors in Minnesota hungry for gold. 

Rimpinen was passed up at last summer’s NHL Entry Draft but it seems unlikely that will happen again, based on his play at the World Juniors and for Kiekka-Espoo in the Liiga, Finland’s top professional league.

“It won’t affect what I do whether I get drafted or not,” said Rimpinen. “Of course, that’s the goal, and it should be, but there shouldn’t be any extra pressure from it, and I haven’t felt any so far.”

Before the World Juniors, the 18-year-old goalie had played 24 Liiga games for Kiekka-Espoo, posting a team-best 2.25 goals against average, a .916 save percentage, one shutout and posted a record of 15-9. With Rimpinen gone to the World Juniors, however, the team has won only one of its last last eight and has fallen to sixth place with 62 points in 38 games. Despite being busy with the Finnish national junior team, Rimpinen has managed to keep tabs on his club back home.

“The guys have played well, from what I’ve seen,” he said. “There have been a couple of bad bounces, there’s been overtime and everything. We just need to start winning again. It’s not that complicated.

“I’m excited to get back to my team and help them,” he said. “We had a great start to the season and now we just have to keep it going.”

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