Timo Kunnari
Finland has not beaten Canada in the under-20 World Cup this decade, writes Timo Kunnari from Ottawa.
Lauri Mikkola works for the second time as head coach in the under-20 World Cup tournament. Mikkola has six players from last year’s team. PDO
The world’s best teenagers in the sport will start the competition for the under-20 world ice hockey championship on Boxing Day.
The Finnish team’s opening game is the worst possible when the team faces Canada. The tournament is played in the Canadian capital, Ottawa, and the host team is supported by an enthusiastic crowd of around 18,000 spectators.
Few of the spectators are on Finland’s side in the opening game, the audience’s attitude can even be aggressive.
Nuoret Leijonat is a clear underdog in the opening game. Canada is the second favorite in the tournament, right behind the defending champion USA.
Finland has not beaten Canada in this age group World Cup tournament this decade. It’s not easy now either.
If you rewind the Under-20 World Cup ten years ago, Canada has won five championships in that period, Finland two.
In total, the countries have met at this level 42 times. Canada has won 27 games.
Although Canada is the favorite, Finland is not without opportunities at all. Canada can be prone to the same thing as Finland, i.e. opening game pressure and over-trying, even stupidity.
Gavin McKenna, who just turned 17 before Christmas, is the favorite of Canadians who follow hockey, although not necessarily the best player yet. Cole Beaudoin, mentioned as the “most physical” of the team, will tackle every Finn who hits the tracks. There will probably be excesses.
This youngster is under pressure. Gavin McKenna, who just turned 17, is the Canadians’ favorite boy at the World Cup. AOP / TOMI NATRI
I arrived in Ottawa on December 21st. Since then, and in fact even before that, the country’s media has been banging on in their broadcasts and stories about how only gold is good for the country at home games. The situation is not easy at all for Canada’s young players.
Finland immediately needs leading action from its best players, such as Kasper Halttus, Aron Kiviharju and Konsta Heleniuk. Without their top game, the Young Lions cannot topple Canada.
Finland’s goalkeeping department is fine. Topias Hynninen was in pain on the eve of the opening game, otherwise the group is ready.
What kind of hockey does the Finnish coaching team play in the tournament? The traditional elements of Finnish cooperation hockey will be visible in the game, but you have to remember that the team has no less than ten juniors playing in North American leagues.
They are not interested in trap and slow starts. They want to play and go. That’s why it’s interesting to see what kind of game head coach Lauri Mikkola and his partners will conjure up against Canada and throughout the tournament.
Finland’s success in junior tournaments has been looking down lately. In both the 18- and 20-year-old World Championships, Finland has been without a medal in the previous two World Championships.
Last year, Finland was fourth. It would be a worthy achievement in Ottawa as well, because Finland’s player production in the big picture is in such a limp state at the moment.
