Aatu Räty and the Vancouver Canucks take on Connor Bedard and the Chicago Blackhawks on Saturday night.
Aatu Räty and the Vancouver Canucks take on Connor Bedard and the Chicago Blackhawks on Saturday night.
The World Juniors is always an excitement as it allows the hockey world to get a glimpse at the next wave of superstars. The 2022 tournament was no different, as it featured high-profile prospects, including Vancouver Canucks Aatu Räty and Chicago Blackhawks Connor Bedard. While that tournament was unorthodox, as it was held in August, it did produce one of the best Gold Medal Games of recent memory as Canada defeated Finland 3-2 in overtime.
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One of the stars of that Finnish team was Räty, who finished the tournament with ten points in seven games. During the Gold Medal Game, Räty logged 17:53 of ice time and played a key role for Team Finland, winning eight of his 14 draws. As Räty explains, playing at that tournament was special, even if the final result was not what he had hoped for.
"I remember a lot," said Räty. It was summertime, which was a pretty odd time for World Juniors, but it was great that they were able to have that tournament and have fans, especially at that final. I think that's easily the loudest game I've ever been a part of, and kind of the best atmosphere. Even though we lost, it's still a great memory, and super proud of the team."
Looking back, that Finnish team was loaded with talent. Some of the top prospects featured on the team included Aleksi Heimosalmi, Roni Hirvonen and Joakim Kemell, who were all drafted in the first two rounds of the NHL Draft. According to Räty, what made that team so special was the chemistry they were able to build before the tournament, competing as a group in Finland.
"As Team Finland, most of the guys, probably ten guys in that 20-man roster, we probably played almost 80 national team games together. Those guys are brothers to me, and yeah, that was a great game. We were an inch away from winning, which, obviously, a massive thing in Finland, and massive to every one of us to win the silver. I'm super proud of it and have had great memories."
During the tournament, Räty and Finland faced Canada twice: once in the round robin, which Canada won 6-3, and then again in the Gold Medal Game. This also meant facing Bedard twice in five days. As Räty explains, shutting down a 17-year-old Bedard was no easy task, as the pride of North Vancouver was already one of Canada's best players.
"Everybody knew who he was, and he had a great tournament. I remember that, in the groups, he scored a nice goal. Got through the right wing and went high glove. I remember I was pissed at the moment on the bench seeing that, but obviously, great shot, great player. I remember we covered him a lot in the video meetings. That's kind of when, I'm sure, he came out with that before, but it got pretty popular, that toe drag release. We were talking with the D and everyone about how we're going to cover that. I thought we did a decent job, but he still scored. That's how good it is. Obviously, we thought we covered him well, and he still was able to score."
Flash forward just over two years, Räty and Bedard will be on the ice together, this time at the NHL level. It will be the first time they have met since that 2022 Gold Medal Game and the first time Bedard plays an NHL game in Vancouver. For Räty, this is an opportunity to measure himself up against some of the best players in his age group.
"Really excited. It's always great to see how you match up against good players. Chicago's got a lot of good players, so really excited to play against him and the team. Looking forward to those face-offs."
As for how to shut Bedard down, that is a challenge not many around the league have figured out how to do. The reigning Calder Trophy winner has 13 points in 17 games and ranks 31st in the league for shots on goal with 53. While it won't be an easy challenge, Räty and the Canucks already have a strategy to try and slow down the Blackhawks superstar.
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"You can't let him shoot through your legs. When the goalie can't see it, it's that good of a shot. I'm sure everyone's trying to do that, but you've got to be aware. You want to be as close to it as possible at any point. When he's in the O-zone, he's always a threat to score. I'm sure he'll pop up, and especially like power play and whatnot, he's always a shooting threat."
Saturday's game presents different opportunities for both Räty and Bedard. For Bedard, it is a chance to play in front of family and friends, while for Räty, it is a chance to get some payback for 2022. The first of what should be many more matchups at the NHL level; both players will be looking to leave their mark when Vancouver and Chicago face off for the first time this season.
