With all the attention and excitement, should the NHL look to make this a permanent fix? It was fun while it lasted, but Utah Hockey Club's representation came to end with Finland's latest loss to Canada. With no one else from Utah playing besides Olli Määttä and Juuso Välimäki, both competing for Finland, Utah's whole team will now be left watching a USA vs Canada like the rest of the world. But while Utah HC fans will have to wait for regular season play to resume Feb. 22, there is still something left to celebrate, namely Määttä's performance. Though there were doubts about Finland's ability to earn even a single point, mainly due to key injuries on the blue line and the skill of their replacements, Määttä played exceptionally well for Finland's defense, leading the defensemen with two assists. While he didn't score a goal like Finnish defensemen Esa Lindell and Henri Jokiharju, his contributions helped Finland take the lead early in its game against the USA [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/utah/latest-news/utahs-olli-määttä-assists-on-finlands-first-goal-in-4-nations-face-off-loss-against-usa] and net a game-tying goal in its lone win against Sweden. Along with the assists, Määttä also had four blocked shots across the three games and two takeaways in Finland's OT win over Sweden [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/tampa-bay-lightning/latest-news/4-nations-face-off-victor-hedman-and-team-sweden-fall-to-finland-4-3-in-overtime]. He also was assessed a hooking penalty in the 6-1 loss to USA. While there is a good chance that a lot of Utah HC fans are swept in the drama of the USA vs Canada rematch maybe even rooting for the United States, they can be proud knowing that Määttä represented their team well. Utah HC will resume regular season play against the LA Kings Feb. 22. The puck drop will be at 7 p.m. MST. Image [https://thehockeynews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MjEyNTM0NDQ2ODY2Mzc2MjAx/google-news.png]
