Reacting to Team Finland's 2023 World Junior Roster

Team Finland has their squad set for the World Junior Championship. Tony Ferrari breaks down the players to watch and the surprising snubs.

The final member of hockey’s big-four nations at the world juniors has released their roster.

Team Finland released a 25-man roster so they will need to make a couple of cuts before the tournament starts. They have 15 NHL-drafted players, one 2023 draft-eligible forward and a highly touted 2024 draft-eligible defender as well.

The Finns come into the tournament once again as the weakest of the major powers on paper but will try to do what they always seem to do – be greater than the sum of their parts. 

They have a few stars up front, some impressive blueline talent including a 2024 draft-eligible stud, and stable goaltending. With their pro-style system and cohesive team play, the Finns will be a force as always.

The Finns will be relying heavily on their top-end talent to provide timely scoring which is often the case for Finland at international tournaments. Brad Lambert (WPG) and Joakim Kemell (NSH) will be looked to as the team's dynamic offensive players. Lambert was outstanding in the abbreviated tournament last December but had an up-and-down world juniors in the summer when they replayed the tournament. Kemell had the opposite experience, looking lost in December and then scoring the lights out in August.

Ville Koivunen (CAR) has been one of Finland’s most consistent players at international tournaments at every level and will once again be looked at to provide support for Lambert and Kemell in the team’s top six. Players such as Oliver Kapanen and Jani Nyman are going to be relied on for secondary scoring, but the Finns will manufacture offense through their outstanding structure and professional style of play as a unit.

Aleksi Heimosalmi (CAR) will be the key piece on the blueline, bringing his dynamic skating and offensive creation from the backend to the tournament. Aron Kiviharju, a 2024 draft-eligible defender, will be the biggest wild card for the team depending on how big of a role he plays, as it will dictate how this blueline is constructed. Topias Vilen (NJD) and Otto Salin (LA) will help fill key roles on the back end as well.

The omissions from the Finnish roster are possibly the least egregious of any of the big powers at the World Junior Championship. 

Miko Matikka (ARI) might be the biggest omission as the winger is having a strong season in the USHL with 32 points in 21 games. Committed to the University of Denver, Matikka is likely a victim of the team wanting specific player types for roles on the team.

Samu Salminen (NJD) and Samu Tuomaala (PHI) are other notable omissions. Neither is having an outstanding season, but they’ve been big parts of Finnish international teams in the past. Salminen has been the captain as recently as the U-18 World Championship where he racked up nine points in seven games. Tuomaala was the leading scorer at that same tournament with 11 points and was named a tournament all-star. His development over the last year has been concerning though, so it’s not entirely shocking that he was left off the squad.

All eyes will be on the Finns' youngest player, 2006-born Kiviharju. The 16-year-old defender has already played a handful of Liiga games and has been virtually a point-per-game player at the U-20 level in Finland. 

His poise and intelligence are what have made him one of the top players eligible for the 2024 NHL draft. Kiviharju is an outstanding breakout passer who is able to turn defense into offense by moving pucks up ice efficiently with pace. He could play top-four minutes for this Finnish squad and truly put his name near the top of the draft class next year.

The only 2023 draft-eligible player on the squad is forward Lenni Hameenaho who plays for Assat in the Liiga. He has 13 points in 28 games, putting up solid numbers for an 18-year-old. Hameenaho should fit right in on this U-20 squad as he plays a very structured and process-oriented game. He forechecks and disrupts play in the neutral zone effectively, which should allow him to earn a role in the bottom six and possibly surprise with some timely depth scoring. 

The tournament kicks off in Halifax, N.S. and Moncton, N.B. from Dec. 26 to Jan. 5.