WJC: Team Finland 2024 U20 WJC roster Talk.

[Jukurit]

Watching USA-Canada practice game and both of these teams are so so much better than Finland. So much more skilled and play so much faster. Finland will get absolutely destroyed by Canada in the first game. Only an amazing game by Kokko can save them.

 

[Harbessix]

Has Finland named the captain and alternates yet?

 

[JJTT]

Has Finland named the captain and alternates yet?

No. I'd imagine Kaskimäki, Salin, Nyman and Lassila

 

[FinPanda]

No. I'd imagine Kaskimäki, Salin, Nyman and Lassila

With Lassila being the captain most likely.

On practise games
Lassila - C
Nyman & Salin A

 

[Harbessix]

With Lassila being the captain most likely.

On practise games
Lassila - C
Nyman & Salin A

Awesome thanks for the reply. I was just curious if Halttunen would get a letter as I know he’s captained the national team in the past if I’m not mistaken.

 

[BuffLumber]

It's too bad we won't get to see Kemell. But he has nothing to prove here. I still think we shouldn't under estimate Finland.

 

[FinPanda]

 

[Svedu]

Finland looked terrible in the first period against Canada. Kokko looked really good though.
Kemell is missing more than I could've imagined before this tournament.

 

[shaner8989]

Kokko looks amazing

 

[SantosHalper]

Kemell is missing more than I could've imagined before this tournament.

Nah, Kemell wouldn't make that much difference. The real problem is that defense, too slow and puck moving skills average at best. Saddest part is that this is the best defense we can have.

Something is seriously wrong with defenseman development in Finland.

 

[FinPanda]

Our individual skills have gotten so bad in the last few years. We have made so much money from WHC but we don't have the individual skills training for our players like we should have. Liitto should wake up asap.

 

[Svedu]

Nah, Kemell wouldn't make that much difference. The real problem is that defense, too slow and puck moving skills average at best. Saddest part is that this is the best defense we can have.

Something is seriously wrong with defenseman development in Finland.

Both agree and disagree. He would've been a lot better than some forwards out there, so when it comes to that discussion you are imho wrong. He can handle the puck and at least dangle and he actually likes to shoot the puck... So yeah there you have it.
Why do I believe he could've made some difference, at least in this game, is because Canada weren't that good either. I've seen a lot better Canadian teams before.

But regarding the D's? You are nothing but right. I mean they looked horrendous.
And yeah, agreed on that last one as well.

 

[ChicagoBullsFan]

De ja vu's from last years U20 WJC's are really strong after that bullshit game.
Our coach is brain-dead idiot who don't have any game plans
and tactical skills to coach even peewee hockey.

If there are hockey gods awake i beg on my knees
Lauri Mikkola gets fired immidiately after U20 WJC's and drags
his lazy coaching far away of any coaching postion in Finnish hockey.

Get back to home and STOP embarrassing Finnish lion jersey you f***ing p***yes.
Vittu mitä paskaa.

 

[karhukissa]

Nah, Kemell wouldn't make that much difference. The real problem is that defense, too slow and puck moving skills average at best. Saddest part is that this is the best defense we can have.

Something is seriously wrong with defenseman development in Finland.

Yeah, modern day fast and agile d-men who can beat traps and carry puck under pressure, with pace. Just imagine even a guy like Heinola when he played at this level, it made a huge difference.

This team Finland is actually the heaviest in this tournament, average weight of 85kg's. It's very visible on the ice.

 

[Jukurit]

Nah, Kemell wouldn't make that much difference. The real problem is that defense, too slow and puck moving skills average at best. Saddest part is that this is the best defense we can have.

Something is seriously wrong with defenseman development in Finland.

Watch how slow and passive teams play in Liiga. D-man can stand behind his own net for a minute scratching his nose and the other team is standing in trap on the neutral zone. NA teams play fast and aggresive forecheck and Liiga d-men are shitting their pants because they have so much less time.

 

[FinPanda]

I'm very worried about the future of Finnish hockey.

 

[Svedu]

I'm very worried about the future of Finnish hockey.

Yep, me 2.
Looked good with Lundell, Heinola and Niemelä coming up but... I mean not a single D besides Heiskanen has panned out really. Niemelä could still perhaps have the opportunity.
Kupari, Pulju, Laine and others are really making me disappointed.
I always thought Heponiemi could make himself a career even if he was very thin and light. Kupari could skate and dangle somewhat good but that didn't pan out to anything special. Laaksonen came back to Europe. Vaakanainen a first rounder has become a sixth D. Juolevi came back home.
Thomson will never be a contender for an olympic roster imo.
Neither Kiviharju nor Väisänen will be sure bets either in my book. The first one because of his injury of course.
Lundell and Luostarinen haven't been that good this year.

I mean besides Maccelli becoming a steal for Coyotes and I can only see Lambert and Tuomaala (right now) making a similar upset and actually become NHLers. But again, they aren't D's.
Niemelä is another one of course but I was always pretty high on him.

 

[SantosHalper]

Watch how slow and passive teams play in Liiga. D-man can stand behind his own net for a minute scratching his nose and the other team is standing in trap on the neutral zone. NA teams play fast and aggresive forecheck and Liiga d-men are shitting their pants because they have so much less time.

In Sweden they encourage d-men to play with the puck more, clearly they don't that in Finland. And imo this leads up to very basic aspect of the game, skating. Every Liiga team should hire 2 skating coaches, one working with juniors and one with men. They should stop signing mediocore foreighers and invest that money in individual coaching. Better skaters should create faster pace hockey.

I mean not a single D besides Heiskanen has panned out really.

And Lindell. Thats just sad, Finland has two top-4 d-man in NHL. Rest of them are 3rd pair at best. Mikko Lehtonen is our 2nd best PMD and he has no business to play in NHL.

How many top-4 D's Sweden has in NHL? And how many upcoming top-4 D's they have? Finnish hockey is in serious decline.

 

[Jukurit]

In Sweden they encourage d-men to play with the puck more, clearly they don't that in Finland. And imo this leads up to very basic aspect of the game, skating. Every Liiga team should hire 2 skating coaches, one working with juniors and one with men. They should stop signing mediocore foreighers and invest that money in individual coaching. Better skaters should create faster pace hockey.

And Lindell. Thats just sad, Finland has two top-4 d-man in NHL. Rest of them are 3rd pair at best. Mikko Lehtonen is our 2nd best PMD and he has no business to play in NHL.

How many top-4 D's Sweden has in NHL? And how many upcoming top-4 D's they have? Finnish hockey is in serious decline.

Finland should just copy what Sweden is doing. Swedish hockey is doing so much better than Finnish hockey now.

 

[ChicagoBullsFan]

Finland should just copy what Sweden is doing. Swedish hockey is doing so much better than Finnish hockey now.

Finland shouldn't copy nothing.
They better blow up and rebuild whole goddamn player development system.

Bring in guys like Ismo Lehkonen, Jarmo Kekäläinen and Janne Hänninen.
Kekäläinen who's been NHL scout, assistant GM and GM knows damn well
what type players will be succesfull in NHL no matter about draft number.

Lehkonen should be player development and individual skill coach in jääkiekkoliitto.
And Janne Hänninen should be the skating development coach.

U20 head coach should be full-time job not one tournament related project.
And also U2O head coach should be someone who's not a member in any-kind
sauna club networks or kiss my ass clubs and has won something in his coaching career

SM liiga should remove those airport rinks and put those player development '
and individual skill killers energy-waste resycling.

If our dear jääkiekkoliitto has any means and interest to win something
in IIHF tournaments and winter olympics next 5 -10 years they better start
make massive changes right here and right now if they don't wanna become''
world's leading and biggest laughing stock in hockey as like our ski-jumpers
have done after Janne Ahonen era.

 

[king89]

Finland should just copy what Sweden is doing. Swedish hockey is doing so much better than Finnish hockey now.

Dunno about that. Yeah they are producing talent but they have always done that. It's not like they have been super successful in international tournaments lately and are some sort of juggernaut everybody needs to take after.

 

[JJTT]

I think our recent issues with player development extend far beyond hockey. Look how downhill are schooling system has gone for the past 15-20 years. If we can't even produce decent human beings, how are we supposed produce elite athletes?

I think the big reason why we are not producing players is that playing outdoors in a rink or in a street with your friends is pretty much dead nowadays.

Parents drive their kid to practice, they play for 1.5h and that's it. Kid spents rest of the day watching tiktoks or playing console games.

Even since the early 2010s there been a huge change how little kids move these days. This problem extends far beyond hockey and it's not really that easy to fix.

And for some reason only 1 / 100 of our players seems how to skate.

 

[Jussi]

Finland shouldn't copy nothing.
They better blow up and rebuild whole goddamn player development system.

Bring in guys like Ismo Lehkonen, Jarmo Kekäläinen and Janne Hänninen.
Kekäläinen who's been NHL scout, assistant GM and GM knows damn well
what type players will be succesfull in NHL no matter about draft number.

Lehkonen should be player development and individual skill coach in jääkiekkoliitto.
And Janne Hänninen should be the skating development coach.

U20 head coach should be full-time job not one tournament related project.
And also U2O head coach should be someone who's not a member in any-kind
sauna club networks or kiss my ass clubs and has won something in his coaching career

SM liiga should remove those airport rinks and put those player development '
and individual skill killers energy-waste recyling.

If our dear jääkiekkoliitto has any means and interest to win something
in IIHF tournaments and winter olympics next 5 -10 years they better start
make massive changes right here and right now if they don't wanna become''
world's leading and biggest laughing stock in hockey as like our ski-jumpers
have done after Janne Ahonen era.

I don't think any team uses the old international size anymore but everyone uses hybrid rinks.

 

[ChicagoBullsFan]

Suomalaisen jääkiekon kulta-ajasta on jäljellä vain rippeet, sanoo asiantuntija – Nuorilla Leijonilla on tärkeä tehtävä

Suomi-kiekon vuosi 2023 oli tappioita puolivälierissä. Yle Urheilun asiantuntija Topi Nättisen mukaan aiempien vuosien menestyksestä ei ole paljoa jäljellä.

yle.fi

 

[JJTT]

Lol. Relegation incoming.