WC: Finland Roster 2024 U18 World Championship

[ChicagoBullsFan]

I'm starting to think that Kauppinen is a bad coach. When he was Jukurit's head coach in Liiga the team played very bad. Some very brutal losses like the 11-1 loss to HIFK. Why does this guy even have the job of U18 head coach?!

Good question.
Kauppinen seems to be new member
of Harri Nummela's kiss my ass country club
who's getting any job in liitto without any showings of real success.

 

[ddlennon]

Hope to see soini/väisänen at the springs wcs too bad that miettinen/saarelainen/muhonen/vesterinen all looked terrible/middling even so this age group shouldnt be getting destroyed this badly and its clear the coaching team managed nothing resembling team play

 

[Erikfromfin]

Hopefully something like this in spring

Vesterinen - Helenius - Saarelainen
Miettinen - Suoniemi - Hemming
Westergård - Orpana - Kämäräinen
Teshome - Ruohonen - Väärälä
Sinivuori
Paqvalin

Väisänen - Kiviharju
Kotajärvi - Soini
Muhonen - Saari
Jokinen
Nykyri

Rimpinen
Saarinen
Hannikainen

 

[Erikfromfin]

Post 5-nations look. I think team will be dynamite if all healthy.

Roope Vesterinen - Konsta Helenius - Joona Saarelainen
Julius Miettinen - Tuomas Suoniemi - Emil Hemming
Max Westergård - Aatos Koivu - Kasper Pikkarainen
Natan Teshome - Heikki Ruohonen - Ville Väärälä
Markus Loponen
Juho Keinänen

Veeti Väisänen - Aron Kiviharju
Niilopekka Muhonen - Sebastian Soini
Jesper Kotajärvi - Daniel Nieminen
Eelis Marila - Mitja Jokinen

Kim Saarinen
Petteri Rimpinen
Otto Hannikainen


Average size and kilos arent big and need to aclimate atleast Westergård and Kotajärvi into U18 system. Next best forward Lauri Sinivuori, defender Onni Amhamdi and goalie propably Veeti Louhivaara. Also Frans Viita has super PPG but has been injured could still climb into the mix.

 

[Svedu]

Post 5-nations look. I think team will be dynamite if all healthy.

Roope Vesterinen - Konsta Helenius - Joona Saarelainen
Julius Miettinen - Tuomas Suoniemi - Emil Hemming
Max Westergård - Aatos Koivu - Kasper Pikkarainen
Natan Teshome - Heikki Ruohonen - Ville Väärälä
Markus Loponen
Juho Keinänen

Veeti Väisänen - Aron Kiviharju
Niilopekka Muhonen - Sebastian Soini
Jesper Kotajärvi - Daniel Nieminen
Eelis Marila - Mitja Jokinen

Kim Saarinen
Petteri Rimpinen
Otto Hannikainen

Don't know about the goalies too much yet but those first three lines and a couple of those D's? Could be good, could be very good.

 

[JJTT]

Haven't really followed this age group too closely aside from the top guys, but most of the forwards couldn't do anything with puck in the 2 games I saw. Powerplay should be better with Hemming and Kiviharju but is it enough? Saarelainen and Vesterinen don't really scream top line wingers.

Saarinen should be good enough as the #1 goalie. Could be a huge riser for the draft.

 

[Erikfromfin]

Final thoughts on how I would roll

A Team

Julius Miettinen - Konsta Helenius - Emil Hemming
Joona Saarelainen - Aatos Koivu - Kasper Pikkarainen
Matti Butkovskiy - Tuomas Suoniemi - Frans Viita
Lauri Sinivuori - Heikki Ruohonen - Roope Vesterinen
Markus Loponen

Veeti Väisänen - Aron Kiviharju
Jesper Kotajärvi - Sebastian Soini
Niilopekka Muhonen - Mitja Jokinen
Niklas Nykyri

Kim Saarinen
Petteri Rimpinen
Patrik Kerkola

B Team

Max Westergård - Jasu Mensonen - Juho Keinänen
Joonas Paqvalin - Ville Väärälä - Oliver Kopiloff
Elias Puolanne - Akseli Pulkkanen - Leo Tuuva
Natan Teshome - Eetu Orpana - Nooa Viuhkola
Benjamin Pietila

Eelis Marila - Daniel Nieminen
Lasse Boelius - Bruno Jalasti
Mikko Leppä - Eerik Wallenius
Onni Amhamdi

Otto Hannikainen
Masi Härkönen
Jooa Sammalniemi


*Veeti Louhivaara injured out of tournament*

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

Final thoughts on how I would roll

Julius Miettinen - Konsta Helenius - Emil Hemming
Joona Saarelainen - Aatos Koivu - Kasper Pikkarainen
Matvey Butkovskiy - Tuomas Suoniemi - Frans Viita/Max Westergård
Lauri Sinivuori - Heikki Ruohonen - Roope Vesterinen
Markus Loponen

Veeti Väisänen - Aron Kiviharju
Jesper Kotajärvi - Sebastian Soini
Niilopekka Muhonen - Mitja Jokinen
Niklas Nykyri

Kim Saarinen
Petteri Rimpinen
Patrik Kerkola

*Veeti Louhivaara injured out of tournament*

Very good defense. Goaltending isn't bad compared to the other teams. Will need that top line to produce a lot of offense, and some of the defensemen to chip in more than their share of offense.

Gold Medal Contender if everything goes right. Could also not medal, so like a typical Finnish team.

 

[ChicagoBullsFan]

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

He’ll probably miss the U18’s then.

 

[SantosHalper]

1st camp roster
Leijonat - Pikkuleijonien ensimmäinen MM-leiriryhmä nimetty – Valmistautuminen kotikisoihin alkaa

 

[Erikfromfin]

1st camp roster
Leijonat - Pikkuleijonien ensimmäinen MM-leiriryhmä nimetty – Valmistautuminen kotikisoihin alkaa

Butkovskyi, Viita and Marila surprise omissions to me. Thou Kärpät Viita still active.

Other missing fellas in playoffses or other duties

 

[JJTT]

Where is Hemming?

 

[Erikfromfin]

Where is Hemming?

Koivu, Pikkarainen, Jokinen, Hemming in U20SM playoffs finals
Miettinen in WHL
Jalasti in QMJHL
Viita in liiga group? (Kärpät holding?) don't know
Helenius mens roster


Actual cuts would be withouth short term injury:
Hannikainen, Härkönen, Sammalniemi, Marila, Boelius, Leppä, Wallenius, Vikla, Saari, Välilä, Nyman, Butkovskyi, Westergård, Mensonen, Tuuva, Orpana, Viuhkola, Heinänen, K.Keinänen, Rajala, Mäki-Runsas, Uusikartano among others.

Injured.
Louhivaara

 

[Erikfromfin]

Looks like J.Keinänen, Saarelainen and Puolanne missing from Camp week 1. Aatu Heinänen is in
Leijonat - Pikkuleijonien MM-leiri alkoi Peurungassa – 25 pelaajaa valmistautumassa kotikisoihin

 

[ChicagoBullsFan]

Leijonat - U18 Pikkuleijonien MM-valmistelut huipentuvat – Tässä joukkue toiselle leiriviikolle

Kotikisoihin valmistautuvan alle 18-vuotiaiden poikien maajoukkueen MM-leiritys jatkuu toisella leiriviikolla Kirkkonummella 15.–20.4.2024. Toiselle leiriviikolle on kutsuttu 26 pelaajaa. Uusina pelaajina leiriryhmään liittyvät puolustaja Mitja Jokinen (TPS) sekä hyökk...

www.leijonat.fi

Maalivahdit:
Patrik Kerkola, KalPa Kuopio
Petteri Rimpinen, K-Espoo
Kim Saarinen, HPK Hämeenlinna

Puolustajat:
Onni Amhamdi, Pelicans Lahti
Mitja Jokinen, TPS Turku
Aron Kiviharju, HIFK Helsinki
Veikka Mononen, KalPa Kuopio
Daniel Nieminen, Pelicans Lahti
Niklas Nykyri, HIFK Helsinki
Sebastian Soini, Ilves Tampere
Veeti Väisänen, KooKoo Kouvola

Hyökkääjät:
Emil Hemming, TPS Turku
Anton Kettunen, Pelicans Lahti
Aatos Koivu, TPS Turku
Oliver Kopiloff, HPK Hämeenlinna
Markus Loponen, Kärpät Oulu
Joonas Paqvalin, Jokerit Helsinki
Benjamin Pietilä, Kärpät Oulu
Kasper Pikkarainen, TPS Turku
Heikki Ruohonen, K-Espoo
Joona Saarelainen, KalPa Kuopio
Lauri Sinivuori, HIFK Helsinki
Tuomas Suoniemi, K-Espoo
Natan Teshome, Jokerit Helsinki
Roope Vesterinen, HPK Hämeenlinna
Ville Väärälä, Tappara Tampere

 

[Svedu]

My predictions or expectations: Kiviharju and Hemming should dominate no matter what. If the hype is real that is. Even if Kiviharju has been gone for long.
Also, time to prove what they really got for Veeti Väisänen, Mitja Jokinen Koivu, Suoniemi and perhaps even Vesterinen (what ever happened to him?).
I don't think Veeti has shown anything worth hyping on international level against his peers yet. Suoniemi and Vesterinen with very weak seasons. Koivu with a late spurt and growth so interesting to see if he can be a player that stands out on this level. Let's be honest, even if his numbers have progressed and he's a bit of a late bloomer, his numbers aren't that Impressive and it's up for him to prove that he doesn't live on his fathers and uncles name imho.

Honestly don't like these signals of some Finnish prospects literally stagnate or even decline in their draft year or right after it. Happens a bit too often for especially Finnish prospects?

 

[ChicagoBullsFan]

My predictions or expectations: Kiviharju and Hemming should dominate no matter what. If the hype is real that is. Even if Kiviharju has been gone for long.
Also, time to prove what they really got for Veeti Väisänen, Mitja Jokinen Koivu, Suoniemi and perhaps even Vesterinen (what ever happened to him?).
I don't think Veeti has shown anything worth hyping on international level against his peers yet. Suoniemi and Vesterinen with very weak seasons. Koivu with a late spurt and growth so interesting to see if he can be a player that stands out on this level. Let's be honest, even if his numbers have progressed and he's a bit of a late bloomer, his numbers aren't that Impressive and it's up for him to prove that he doesn't live on his fathers and uncles name imho.

Honestly don't like these signals of some Finnish prospects literally stagnate or even decline in their draft year or right after it. Happens a bit too often for especially Finnish prospects?

And Konsta Helenius should be clear tournament MVP if he's coming.
Then there's Julius Miettinen but his participation is wide open and huge questionmark.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

Helenius won’t play.

 

[erikhamren]

Home ice, a deep roster, due for gold. I think this is Finlands year. Konsta Helenius would be massive, but the forward group is deep enough.

 

[Juxtaposer]

U18 will be Kiviharju’s first games since his injury, right? Feels like he’ll have the chance to massively increase his draft stock if he can perform as well as he’s capable of.

 

[ChicagoBullsFan]

Helenius won’t play.

Not officially confirmed yet.

 

[ChicagoBullsFan]

Home ice, a deep roster, due for gold. I think this is Finlands year. Konsta Helenius would be massive, but the forward group is deep enough.

Getting both ( Helenius and Miettinen ) to U18 WJC's would be excellent for Finland's gold medal dreams.

I'm not sure is Aatos Koivu and Tuomas Suoniemi good enough
to carry all that scoring load if Helenius and Miettinen won't participate.

 

[ChicagoBullsFan]

U18 will be Kiviharju’s first games since his injury, right? Feels like he’ll have the chance to massively increase his draft stock if he can perform as well as he’s capable of.

Don't set any expectations on Kiviharju.
He's been out of the games so long time and he'll be rusty or very rusty
after that knee injury which ruined his draft season totally. If Kiviharju can score even 4-6 points it's good.

 

[Juxtaposer]

Don't set any expectations on Kiviharju.
He's been out of the games so long time and he'll be rusty or very rusty
after that knee injury which ruined his draft season totally. If Kiviharju can score even 4-6 points it's good.

I have no expectations for him, I just mean that his draft position will likely reflect his play at the U18. Certainly wouldn’t blame him at all for being rusty… but it will matter to scouts.