This year’s IIHF World Junior Championship is the second time that Finland will meet the USA in the final. The first time was also in Canada and featured some other similarities as well. It happened in 2019 in Vancouver, with Finland defeating the USA 3-2 on a late winning goal by Kaapo Kakko.
As is the case this year, the USA and Finland met in the group stage in the 2019 tournament. The Americans beat the Finns 4-1 on New Year’s Eve 2018 in Victoria thanks to two goals by Tyler Madden and two points from Jason Robertson and Joshua Norris. As a result, the USA finished second in the group and Finland finished third. Both teams finished behind the Swedes, who extended their World Junior group-stage winning streak from 43 to 47 that year to finish first in the group. Sweden then promptly lost 2-0 to Switzerland in the quarterfinals.
As was the case this year, Canada was knocked out in the quarterfinals at home. In a goaltending duel between Mikey DiPietro and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, the Canadians led 1-0 in the final minute of regulation time but Aleksi Heponiemi tied it and then Toni Utonen scored the overtime winner. Finland then beat Switzerland 6-1 in the semifinals. The Americans beat Czechia 3-1 in the quarters despite a heroic goaltending performance from Lukáš Dostál, and edged Russia 2-1 in the semis.
Final rosters:
FINLAND
Goaltenders: Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, Lassi Lehtinen, Filip Lindberg.
Defensmen: Oskari Laaksonen, Toni Utunen, Urho Vaakanainen (A), Henri Jokiharju (A), Otto Latvala, Ville Heinola, Anttoni Honka.
Forwards: Aleksi Heponiemi, Samuli Vainionpää, Valtteri Puustin, Teemu Engber, Rasmus Kupari, Eeli Tolvanen, Santeri Virtanen, Linus Nyman, Kaapo Kakko, Aarne Talvitie (C), Jesse Ylönen, Sami Moilanen, Anton Lundell.
USA
Goaltenders: Kyle Keyser, Spencer Knight, Cayden Primeau.
Defensemen: Jack St. Ivany, Dylan Samberg, Quinn Hughes (A), K’Andre Miller, Mattias Samuelsson, Philip Kemp, Mikey Anderson (C).
Forwards: Jack Hughes, Alexander Chmelevski, Tyler Madden, Ryan Poehling, Logan Cockerill, Josh Norris (A), Jason Robertson, Jay O'Brien, Evan Barratt, Oliver Wahlstrom, Jack Drury, Noah Cates, Joel Farabee.
In the final, Finland led 1-0 after two periods on a power-play one-timer by Jesse Ylönen, but three goals in a span of 2:34 in the third period made it a 2-2 game. Defenseman Otto Latvala put the Finns up 2-0 on a floater from the point but the Americans tied it in short order – Sasha Chmelevski from a sharp angle and then Josh Norris on a one-timer.
With overtime looming, the Finns were pressing in the U.S. zone. Cayden Primeau stopped Henri Jokiharju’s shot from the point but, following a short goalmouth scramble, Kakko – who would be taken second overall by the New York Rangers at the upcoming NHL Entry Draft – first backhanded the puck in at the side of the net for the tournament winner.
Despite the loss, the USA’s Ryan Poehling, a Montreal Canadiens prospect at the time, was voted tournament MVP. Luukkonen, a Buffalo Sabres prospect, was the goaltender on the media all-star team.
It was the fifth and most recent World Junior Championship for Finland, and the only loss in the final to date for the Americans, who now have six titles overall.
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