Finnish Prospect Update Thread

wings5

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Jan 6, 2008
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189cm tall already, doesn't turn 15 until July :eek:

Leijonat - Pelaajakortti

Would be nice to see a truly elite goalie prospect from Finland. Not really anyone since Lehtonen, well Rask maybe.

There's Rask and Saros looks pretty good too, however Vehvilainen and Luukkonen are looking good too for the future, hopefully they pan out.
 

JJTT

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Jan 18, 2013
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ijuka

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May 14, 2016
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Honestly, I think that concentrating on goalies at this point is a waste of time. Guy's really big - He's going to do well. Will he do as well when he's competing with everyone else also being big? Who knows? I would ignore goalies until the draft season, personally.

So on the 2003 age group, I really don't know what's going on. Hardly anyone seems to be playing...

For 2004s, rather impressive production from numerous underagers in C. Elmeri Laakso with 16 points in 14 games as a D, then the JYP duo Jere Lassila and Joakim Kemell with 28 and 27 points in 15 and 13 games, respectively. Jani Nyman, too, has some impressive production, with 19 points in 10 games. And there are a good amount of underagers in C with over a point per game, which still is quite good. I think that this is the most impressive an age group's looked in C in the recent years, at least scoring-wise. I hope that they'll live up to the expectations and that Finland will have a very dominant u16 national team next season.

The 2005-born Emil Järventie in CSM has 14 points in 8 games now. The all-time record for double underagers is by Jesse Puljujärvi with 34 points in 23 games, so it's quite impressive. He has no time to break this record but his scoring pace will likely be higher. If he plays in this league the next season as well, the results might be staggering. Could 3 points per game be possible? Still, it remains to be seen. That said, I believe this record of Puljujärvi's will be broken next season, as 2006-born Aron Kiviharju now has 15 points in 7 games in C2 AAA spring series and I really doubt the pace could possibly slow down that much when entering CSM. On that topic, the release on a goal from this weekend looks pretty ridiculous but perhaps I'm seeing things:
My frame-by-frame geometry analysis says that's 100km/h+ on a snap shot, but surely that can't be right.
 

Jakeybonz

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Jan 1, 2018
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How about Heponiemi. 4th in points per game in liiga. i dont think he can make the panthers just based on size but at 20 years old he seems to have nhl skill already. scores crazy points everywhere he goes.
 

LoveHateLeafs

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Jul 7, 2009
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Anyone know if Brad Lambert, Kasper Simontaival and Patrik Puistola are injured? Puistola and Simontaival haven't played in Mestis or Liiga for a few weeks, and they haven't played in Tappara's pre-playoff series against HPK in the Finnish juniors, which seems really odd. Lambert's Pelicans A-juniors team won't play until the actual playoffs start, but as far as I know, he hasn't played for their B or C-juniors teams, even though it's normal for more advanced players to play down for the playoff push if available.
 

LoveHateLeafs

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Jul 7, 2009
690
327
Honestly, I think that concentrating on goalies at this point is a waste of time. Guy's really big - He's going to do well. Will he do as well when he's competing with everyone else also being big? Who knows? I would ignore goalies until the draft season, personally.

So on the 2003 age group, I really don't know what's going on. Hardly anyone seems to be playing...

For 2004s, rather impressive production from numerous underagers in C. Elmeri Laakso with 16 points in 14 games as a D, then the JYP duo Jere Lassila and Joakim Kemell with 28 and 27 points in 15 and 13 games, respectively. Jani Nyman, too, has some impressive production, with 19 points in 10 games. And there are a good amount of underagers in C with over a point per game, which still is quite good. I think that this is the most impressive an age group's looked in C in the recent years, at least scoring-wise. I hope that they'll live up to the expectations and that Finland will have a very dominant u16 national team next season.

The 2005-born Emil Järventie in CSM has 14 points in 8 games now. The all-time record for double underagers is by Jesse Puljujärvi with 34 points in 23 games, so it's quite impressive. He has no time to break this record but his scoring pace will likely be higher. If he plays in this league the next season as well, the results might be staggering. Could 3 points per game be possible? Still, it remains to be seen. That said, I believe this record of Puljujärvi's will be broken next season, as 2006-born Aron Kiviharju now has 15 points in 7 games in C2 AAA spring series and I really doubt the pace could possibly slow down that much when entering CSM. On that topic, the release on a goal from this weekend looks pretty ridiculous but perhaps I'm seeing things:
My frame-by-frame geometry analysis says that's 100km/h+ on a snap shot, but surely that can't be right.

What's Järventie like as a player? I watched his brother's games at November's World Under 17's, and while he was clearly big and very athletic, his hockey IQ, especially with the puck seemed quite low.

Also, Puljujarvi's record should probably have an asterisk next to it. As memory serves, he spent the vast majority of his junior career on a line with Sebastian Aho and Antti Kalapudas. How many Finnish junior players have played with this kind of talent year after year? Not many I'd wager.
 

JustAPleb

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Feb 14, 2019
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Anyone know if Brad Lambert, Kasper Simontaival and Patrik Puistola are injured? Puistola and Simontaival haven't played in Mestis or Liiga for a few weeks, and they haven't played in Tappara's pre-playoff series against HPK in the Finnish juniors, which seems really odd. Lambert's Pelicans A-juniors team won't play until the actual playoffs start, but as far as I know, he hasn't played for their B or C-juniors teams, even though it's normal for more advanced players to play down for the playoff push if available.
Puistola & Simontaival are day-to-day injured. Simontaival, Vanhatalo & Puistola normaly playing in LeKi but they was helping Tappara to U20 playoffs. Tappara was last team who get in U20 playoff.

Lambert´s team is Pelicans A. Not U16 or U18 so he playing only Pelicans U20. When U20 season ends he will go U18 or U16 if Pelicans younger juniors needing help.

I hope Lambert will play next season in Mestis and 2020-21 & 2021-22 Liiga. Then NHL.
 
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Erikfromfin

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May 18, 2013
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Didnt get much material but heres couple clips from Pohjola-leiri
 
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Artorius Horus T

sincerety
Nov 12, 2014
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How about Heponiemi. 4th in points per game in liiga. i dont think he can make the panthers just based on size but at 20 years old he seems to have nhl skill already. scores crazy points everywhere he goes.

Turned 20 less than 2 months ago, so he is barely 20 years old.
I'm predicting that he gets a roster spot from the get go.
- his skating,skill and hockey IQ is just so good,
kinda pointless sending him to the AHL if you ask me

3rd line with solid pp time, Borgström&Heponiemi would be a solid duo for them.
- or..without Hoffman, 2nd line: Vatrano-Trocheck-Heponiemi
 
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JJTT

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Joonas Oden has been quietly having a great finish to the season with KooKoo's Liiga team. 8 points in his last 6 games. Could be a decent late round pick as overager.
 

Jakeybonz

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Jan 1, 2018
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Turned 20 less than 2 months ago, so he is barely 20 years old.
I'm predicting that he gets a roster spot from the get go.
- his skating,skill and hockey IQ is just so good,
kinda pointless sending him to the AHL if you ask me

3rd line with solid pp time, Borgström&Heponiemi would be a solid duo for them.
- or..without Hoffman, 2nd line: Vatrano-Trocheck-Heponiemi
he wouldnt be sent to the ahl. hed play another year in liiga which is almost certainly gonna happen if he doesnt add another 15 lbs. at a bare minimum.
 

JustAPleb

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Feb 14, 2019
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Tappara U18 forward Oskari Luoto having 56 points in 47 games. That is 13. best points in U18 league as U17 player (full season stats)

1. Lauri Pajuniemi, 45 28+48= 76
2. Aleksi Heponiemi, 39 25+40= 65
3. Antti Kalapudas, 40 31+32= 63
4. Mika Alatalo, 18 32+27= 59
5. Jarkko Varvio, 20 32+27= 59
6. Niki Koskinen, 47 27+32= 59
7. Vesa Lehtonen, 36 27+31= 58
8. Janne Hämäläinen, 47 22+36= 58
9. Oula Kuure, 48 28+29= 57
10. Joona Koppanen, 38 25+32= 57
11. Joona Ikonen, 42 21+36= 57
12. Erkka Seppälä, 48 17+40= 57
13. Oskari Luoto, 47 21+35= 56


Kärpät U18 forward Samu Tuomaala having 56 points in 41 games. That is 5. best points in U18 league as U16 player (full season stats)

1. Eeli Tolvanen, 41 39+45= 84
2. Sebastian Aho, 38 28+32= 60
3. Leevi Aaltonen, 38 21+38= 59
4. Joni Ikonen, 45 20+38= 58
5. Samu Tuomaala, 41 24+32= 56

JYP U18 forward Joakim Kemell having 10 points in 19 games. That is U18 league 5. best points as U15 player.

1. Jesse Puljujärvi, 42 31+20= 51
2. Urho Vaakanainen, 41 8+25= 33
3. Patrik Laine, 27 17+9= 26
4. Juho Kuronen, 26 4+10= 14
5. Joakim Kemell, 19 7+3= 10

Tappara U18 defenseman Leevi Sorvali having 39 points in 44 games. That is U18 league best points as U17 player. (full season stats)

1. Leevi Sorvali, 44 6+33= 39
2. Kalle Loponen, 40 13+24= 37
3. Ville Järvinen, 45 12+25= 37
4. Oliver Felixson, 44 10+27= 37
5. Matias Haaranen, 48 11+25= 36
 
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ijuka

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May 14, 2016
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Aron Kiviharju #11 power play shift:

"How many good plays can you fit within a shift?"-challenge.

Also 2 other plays:
Defensive zone play, then pass:

Offensive rush:

Is it pointless as he's only 13? Perhaps, that's true. But this still blows my mind. As long as he grows just a little, who even knows...


On the season overall. Scoring's pretty low and I hope that's because of the increased level of these leagues rather than due to a weaker crop of juniors. However, I'm not holding my breath, since Finland's not done particularly amazingly internationally with these younger age groups. I guess it'll be a couple of weaker years.

2022 has numerous underagers scoring rather high for C, but none of them destroyed the league, in the way even Brad Lambert did last year. In B-juniors, there's Samu Tuomaala and Jeremi Tammela with impressive production, and Samu Salminen quite good as well. But none of this is super high end production. Honestly, no one's is, outside of Brad Lambert's for his age. Even Aatu Räty's scoring is rather disappointing, as is Joakim Kemell's. Lundell's liiga scoring... Is fine, but he too seems like a clear step down from Kakko, for example.

Well, perhaps a top top notch prospect every year would be too much to expect 2019, 2022 ...And 2024 is pretty good already. And there might be some risers, as is tradition.

Top prospect scores for the season:
2021:
Aatu Räty: A, 17+14=31 in 41.
Samu Tuomaala: B, 24+32=56 in 41.

2022:
Brad Lambert: A, 2+11=13 in 17
Joakim Kemell: C, 17+16=33 in 15

Only Brad Lambert for 2021-2022 has top 3 potential in my eyes. And Lundell is a bit doubtful considering how strong 2022 is. I think he's very good but I'm just not sure if he has the offense. He'd need to have a great season.

2023, haven't seen enough. But some interesting names. C-SM debut season will be interesting.
 
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Yupe

Registered User
Mar 25, 2019
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Regarding stats in junior league, instead of just how much its more important how scores are made.
There is junior teams which are very good as overall and when some players have lots of ice time or power plays, that makes scoring much easier against some weaker teams.

Also team "tactics" are different and finnish u16 league you can see games where both teams can make nearly 10 goals.
So cheking +/-stats give you some idea together with player scores compared total scores of team.
 

Hoglunder

Registered User
Jan 5, 2016
33
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Where can I see stats from finnish junior games? We have stats.swehockey.se here in Sweden but is there something like that in Finland?
 

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