Team Finland @ 2014 U18 WHC

[Keke]

Didn't see a thread about this and decided to make one expecially because we host them this time. At first some potential players who have played in FEL this season that are eligible to play in Lappeenranta:

Kasperi Kapanen RW 33. 4+4=8 -2 10 min
Mikko Rantanen LW 25. 2+2=4 -4 6 min
Aleksi Saarela C 12. 0+2=2 -4 2 min
Juho Lammikko LW 13. 0+1=1 -2 0 min
Roope Hintz C 7. 0+0=0 -1 2 min
Joel Kiviranta LW 1. 0+0=0 0 2 min
Julius Nättinen C 1. 0+0=0 2 min
Miikka Pitkänen C 1. 0+0=0 0 min

Kaapo Kähkönen G #2 goalie

We have three returnees from last years bronze medal team (Kapanen, Kiviranta and Kähkönen). Kähkönen was our 3rd goalie and Kiviranta was our 4th line energy guy but Kapanen was in a big role and scored the most goals in our team (5) and was the 2nd in scoring (8 points). I expected a bit more from Kapanen than he has showed this season but I have no doubt that he will be one of the better players in the U18 WHC.

At last how I see the team at the moment:

Joel Kiviranta A - Aleksi Saarela - Kasperi Kapanen
Sebastian Aho - Antti Kalapudas - Mikko Rantanen
Juho Lammikko - Manu Honkanen C - Roope Hintz
Waltteri Hopponen - Julius Nättinen - Teemu Lämsä
Miikka Pitkänen

Sami Niku - Miro Keskitalo A
Joni Tuulola - Veeti Vainio
Ville Väinölä - Eetu Sopanen
Jere Rouhiainen

Kaapo Kähkönen
Mikael Saari
Veini Vehviläinen

Click to read more...

 

[Jersey Fan 12]

Interesting thread. Was looking for information on line but couldn't find it anywhere. Has a roster for the Five Nations Tournament in Dmitrov been released yet?

 

[Tormentor]

At last how I see the team at the moment:

Joel Kiviranta A - Aleksi Saarela - Kasperi Kapanen
Sebastian Aho - Antti Kalapudas - Mikko Rantanen
Juho Lammikko - Manu Honkanen C - Roope Hintz
Waltteri Hopponen - Julius Nättinen - Teemu Lämsä
Miikka Pitkänen

Sami Niku - Miro Keskitalo A
Joni Tuulola - Veeti Vainio
Ville Väinölä - Eetu Sopanen
Jere Rouhiainen

Kaapo Kähkönen
Mikael Saari
Veini Vehviläinen

Vainio's defensive game might not be good enough for Urama. I doubt that Nättinen makes the team, just too much competition for forward spots, some pretty good forwards will be left out of this team. I've brought out this one before, but the line Mäkinen-Mäkinen-Kauppinen has been a dependable 4th line for this age group for a long time, wouldn't surprise me that much if Urama wants to keep them together. Defense is clearly the weakest part of this team.

 

[Keke]

Yeah that Mäkinen Brothers and Kauppinen have been together in almost every event that This age group has played but I just couldn't take out that 4th line (Really like Nättinen).

Will be Very interesting to see who Urama chooses and I think we see quite a few players in the five-nations tournament who will make the final team. It is a big change to help your chances to get in the team

 

[bebl]

Jokerit A has 8 forwards with more points than brothers.

 

[Tormentor]

Jokerit A has 8 forwards with more points than brothers.

Jokerit has a deep roster and the bros aren't in the best position to score a lot of points. They'd be scoring more on a team with less depth.

Secondly, they possess a good compete level and are capable of executing the given game plan better than some other players. Let's just say that they aren't the worst players to have on your 4th line.

 

[Eyelanders]

Both Miro and Atte Mäkinen play with great intensity and they skate really well. Plus, especially Miro isn't handless at all. The Mäkinen brothers think the game at a high level. Kauppinen, while playing with HIFK, was a very good skater with strong acceleration and checking game. I think they would be a really good 4th line together in this event.

 

[JJTT]

I would agree with Mäkinen-Mäkinen-Kauppinen-line on some other year but this year we actually have forwards with size, instead of team full of Mickey-Mouse's. We could easily have 4 balanced lines with size and talent in all of them. So picking them just because they have played together and have intensity/checking isn't really a great argument this year

Example

Hintz-Saarela-Kapanen
Aho-Kalapudas-Rantanen
Kiviranta-Nättinen/Pitkänen-Hopponen
Lammikko-Honkanen-Lämsä
Pitkänen/Nättinen

With Mäkinen-Mäkinen-Kauppinen

Hintz-Saarela-Kapanen
Aho-Kalapudas-Rantanen
Kiviranta-Honkanen-Lammikko
Mäkinen-Mäkinen-Kauppinen
Hopponen

 

[Eyelanders]

I would agree with Mäkinen-Mäkinen-Kauppinen-line on some other year but this year we actually have forwards with size, instead of team full of Mickey-Mouse's. We could easily have 4 balanced lines with size and talent in all of them. So picking them just because they have played together and have intensity/checking isn't really a great argument this year

I understand your point, however, players like Mäkinen brothers have been playing in more of a defensive role and still been able to put up some points. They know their role extremely well. You have Lammikko on the 4th line, for example. He's far from a great player defensively, although he isn't the worst one either. And I don't think the team will be "full of Mickey-Mouse's" if there's three players who can know how to play the given game plan. By the way, Kauppinen is a quite strong player, despite not being the tallest forward.

 

[JJTT]

Interesting thread. Was looking for information on line but couldn't find it anywhere. Has a roster for the Five Nations Tournament in Dmitrov been released yet?

G:

Kaapo Kähkönen, Blues
Veini Vehviläinen, JYP

D:

Miro Keskitalo, Jokerit
Sebastian Moberg, Blues
Sami Niku, JYP
Jere Rouhiainen, Tappara
Otto Tolvanen, KalPa
Joni Tuulola, HPK
Ville Väinölä, Pelicans

F:

Sebastian Aho, Kärpät
Roope Hintz, Ilves
Manu Honkanen, TPS
Antti Kalapudas, Kärpät
Juho Lammikko, Ässät
Teemu Lämsä, TPS
Atte Mäkinen, Jokerit
Miro Mäkinen, Jokerit
Miikka Pitkänen, KalPa
Mikko Rantanen, TPS
Sebastian Repo, Pelicans
Aleksi Saarela, Lukko

 

[kelsier]

Out of curiousity how many of these players are playing the Liiga or Mestis compared to A Juniors?

I would figure Puljujärvi not being able to crack the U18 WHC due to his age, no matter the numbers he's putting up on the table?

 

[JJTT]

Out of curiousity how many of these players are playing the Liiga or Mestis compared to A Juniors?

I would figure Puljujärvi not being able to crack the U18 WHC due to his age, no matter the numbers he's putting up on the table?

6 Forwards (Saarela,Rantanen,Kapanen,Pitkänen,Lammikko,Hintz) play in Liiga and Defenceman Sami Niku has played some games in Mestis this year. Other guys play in A-Juniors.

No change for Puljujärvi, he will be 15 when the tournament starts. Maybe next year.

 

[kelsier]

6 Forwards (Saarela,Rantanen,Kapanen,Pitkänen,Lammikko,Hintz) play in Liiga and Defenceman Sami Niku has played some games in Mestis this year. Other guys play in A-Juniors.

No change for Puljujärvi, he will be 15 when the tournament starts. Maybe next year.

Figured as much. Think with all that physique he might have made an impact though. So what changes have we got for yet another gold in a junior level do you figure? Recognise some of these names, but most are a bit of a blur.

 

[Jussi]

Saarela was supposed to be in the tournament in Russia but didn't in any game.

 

[JJTT]

@RoopeHintz

Yli puoli joukkuetta #oksu taudissa #russia putkee

Might explain why Saarela didn't play and we played like crap.

 

[Tormentor]

Might explain why Saarela didn't play

Not the reason, and Saarela didn't even travel to Russia, he was replaced by another player.

 

[JJTT]

http://www.tilastopalvelu.fi/ih/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=8&gid=55732

Mäkinen brothers can't even crack Jokerit's A-Juniors line-up anymore. Hope they really concider leaving them out.

 

[Jussi]

http://www.tilastopalvelu.fi/ih/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=8&gid=55732

Mäkinen brothers can't even crack Jokerit's A-Juniors line-up anymore. Hope they really concider leaving them out.

Those who follow Jokerit juniors, think both players would be better off going to another team next season if Jokerit coaching staff doesn't change. Of course if Jokerit can't play in the A-juniors league next at all, they won't the only ones moving.

http://keskustelu.jatkoaika.com/showpost.php?p=5242955&postcount=811

http://keskustelu.jatkoaika.com/showpost.php?p=5243029&postcount=812

 

[start]

What do you think, is Patrik Laine too young for the U18? Only 15yo but a huge guy for any age ( 192cm 92kg ). Top6 goal scorer on finnish junior league among a lot older players. This season he has played in the U17 national team. I watched the streams from Mac tournament on christmas and a 5 team tournament on sweden a week before the olympics and he seems like a potential goal scorer. He scored 3+1,3+0,2+1 and 1+0 in Sweden in 4 games. But maybe still too young? He has some difficulties on his defensive game and seems that his +/- stats are always a negative.

Edit. By the way the 15-16yo finnish players might be the most potential generation we have ever had.

 

[JJTT]

Preliminary Camp roster:

G
Veini Vehviläinen, JYP

D

Sami Niku, JYP
Markus Haapanen, HPK
Matias Haaranen, HPK
Matias Mattsson, Lukko
Petrus Pietiläinen, JYP
Jere Rouhiainen, Tappara
Aleksi Saarinen, Lukko
(Joni Tuulola, HPK)


F
Manu Honkanen, TPS
Joona Jääskeläinen, SaiPa
Antti Kauppinen, Tappara
Patrik Laine, Tappara !
Teemu Lämsä, TPS
Otto Nieminen, TPS
Mikko Rantanen, TPS
Aleksi Saarela, Lukko
Rasmus Smedberg, Lukko
Patrik Virta, HPK

http://www.leijonat.fi/uutiset/tuor...-tassa-pelaajat-esileirille-kisakallioon.html

 

[Hockeycan]

Preliminary Camp roster:

G
Veini Vehviläinen, JYP

D

Sami Niku, JYP
Markus Haapanen, HPK
Matias Haaranen, HPK
Matias Mattsson, Lukko
Petrus Pietiläinen, JYP
Jere Rouhiainen, Tappara
Aleksi Saarinen, Lukko
(Joni Tuulola, HPK)


F
Manu Honkanen, TPS
Joona Jääskeläinen, SaiPa
Antti Kauppinen, Tappara
Patrik Laine, Tappara !
Teemu Lämsä, TPS
Otto Nieminen, TPS
Mikko Rantanen, TPS
Aleksi Saarela, Lukko
Rasmus Smedberg, Lukko
Patrik Virta, HPK

http://www.leijonat.fi/uutiset/tuor...-tassa-pelaajat-esileirille-kisakallioon.html

If this is the final roster it might be a tough tournament fo the Finns this year...

 

[Jussi]

If this is the final roster it might be a tough tournament fo the Finns this year...

It's a two day camp, some players are still tied in the junior league playoffs.

 

[fr9dd9]

How come puljujarvi is not in the camp? To young?

 

[Jussi]

How come puljujarvi is not in the camp? To young?

Still playing in the playoffs. It's a pre-camp, not even close to the final team since a lot of players are still playing.

 

[JJTT]

Who are the most likely guys to fill the 2 remaining d-man spots after Tuulola/Sopanen/Niku/Moberg/Keskitalo?

All of those 5 are lefties so any change for Vainio or Saarijärvi as they are RHD's?