Another player from the OHL has committed to an NCAA school, marking the fourth active player to do so. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Finland was the last nation to announce its 2025 World Junior Championship roster. It was revealed on Saturday and features five OHL players. Kasper Halttunen [https://thehockeynews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MjExNDMxMTEzNTIyOTQ4MDg0/45-384.jpg] Kasper Halttunen The five OHL representatives on Team Finland are: RW, Kasper Halttunen - London Knights - 6'3", 207lbs RW, Emil Hemming - Barrie Colts - 6'1", 205lbs LW, Jesse Nurmi - London Knights - 6'0", 180lbs RW, Tuomas Uronen - Kingston Frontenacs - 6'0", 194lbs LHD, Emil Pieniniemi - Kingston Frontenacs - 6'3", 177lbs Kasper Halttunen, Emil Hemming, and Emil Pieniniemi are returnees from last year's team, which lost to Czechia in the bronze medal game. Halttunen, the San Jose Sharks exciting prospect, scored three goals and six points, while the Pittsburgh Penguins defense prospect Pieniniemi went pointless in seven games, averaging 17-18 minutes a game. Halttunen led the OHL playoffs in goals (17) en route to capturing the OHL Championship with London last season. He started the season in the AHL with the San Jose Barracuda but returned to the OHL midway through November. He's had a slow go of it in his return, scoring two goals and recording points in only three of his nine games. Kasper is expected to play a top-six role for Finland and use his NHL-caliber shot on the powerplay to punish their opponents when they take a penalty. Pieniniemi has unlocked his offensive ability in his first year in the OHL with Kingston [https://thehockeynews.com/ohl/latest-news/pittsburgh-penguins-prospect-emil-pieniniemi-signs-with-kingston-frontenacs]. His 34 points are the fifth-most among defensemen. The smooth-skating, smooth-passing 6-foot-3 defenseman is an option for Finland's powerplay, hopefully carrying over his impressive production to the World Juniors. His Frontenacs teammate Tuomas Uronen [https://thehockeynews.com/ohl/latest-news/kingston-frontenacs-acquire-vegas-golden-knights-draft-pick-tuomas-uronen], the Vegas Golden Knights prospect, has had a strong season as well, recording 16 goals and 39 points in 31 games. His intelligence and anticipation make him a solid option for Finland to use on both special team units and in a middle-six role. Hemming, who recorded two assists as an underage player at last year's World Juniors, will look to play a more prominent offensive role in his second go around. The Dallas Stars first-rounder is known for his elite-level shot, but he's struggled to consistently score in his first OHL season [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/dallas-stars/players/stars-first-round-pick-signs-in-the-ohl] (five goals in 30 games). Halttunen's teammate in London Jesse Nurmi, the New York Islanders prospect, has had a bumpy adjustment (four goals and 16 points in 28 games) to the OHL style of play but can impact the game with his speed on the forecheck. Finland has 15 forwards on their roster (bringing extra players in case of injuries as the overseas nations usually do) and Nurmi will be in a fight with a handful of players for a playing spot in the team's bottom six. Finland's first game is against the host nation Canada on Boxing Day, taking place at the Canadian Tire Centre with the puck dropping at 7:30 pm EST. Bookmark The Hockey News OHL [https://thehockeynews.com/ohl/] site to never miss news, interviews, and any updates around the league.
