Patrik Laine and Kasperi Kapanen to the World Championships

Leijonat continues to prepare for the World Cup at home with two matches against Sweden in Umeå, the first of which it won on Thursday by Markus Granlund and Ahti Oksanen with hits 2–1.

The head coach Jukka Jalonen liked what he saw.

– Probably the best Swedish game this season. Sweden has generally been able to puck quite well. They have really good packs, but we got good pressure on the packs and their strength took a hit

– Of course they also had their places, and Sweden is an excellent team, but I think we played good hockey in all aspects. I am really satisfied.

The teams will meet again on Saturday at 16:00 Finnish time in a match broadcast by TV5 and discovery+.

– Those who played the flute on Thursday will play on Saturday. There were a few injuries, too Vili Saarijärvi and Iiro Pakarinen do not play. Like job mail, but unfortunately they are part of the pattern.

Next week, Leijonat will play the Czech EHT tournament before the World Cup home games that start in Tampere on May 12. Finland’s opening opponent will then be the USA.

– All the time, things get tighter and the resistance gets tougher. At the same time, the team is built. Next week, there will be new guys in line again, and someone will have to leave the game.

NHL players will join the team next week during the Czech tournament Patrick Laine, Joel Armia and Olli Määttä and an Olympic champion and two-time world champion who played a season in the AHL Sakari Manninen.

Next choice

The championships were decided on Thursday in both the Finnish and Swiss leagues, and the Winnipeg Jets’ season in the NHL playoffs ended early Friday morning. This freed up numerous World Championship candidates for the national team.

From the SM league, they are at least the champion Tapparan Jori Lehterä, Brother Matti Savinainen, Niko Ojamäki, Walter Merelä, Valtteri Kemiläinen, Mikael Seppälä and Christian Heljanko.

They played in Geneve-Servette, who won the Swiss championship Teemu Hartikainen, Valtteri Filppula and Sami Vatanen and the silver team in Biel-Bienne Jere Sallinen, Toni Rajala and the goalkeeper Harri Säteri.

Excellent players each, but surely not all of them will be invited, and the end of the NHL contract may become an obstacle for Winnipeg Saku Mäenalanen under.

– They are personal matters, but the starting point in general is that the players who do not have a contract have not come. There may be exceptions, but you can’t really count on such players, Jalonen points out.

– We will publish it when the time is right, on Saturday or Sunday, he refers to the following confirmations of the Lions.

Laine’s playground

NHL players who have already committed to the Finnish team Patrick Laine is the highest profile confirmation.

Laine last played for Leijon in 2016, and in January of the same year, he was about to win the youth world championship Jukka Jalonen in the coaching team.

The one who decided the championship with his overtime goal also played in the same golden team Kasperi Kapanen, who has also already built a considerable NHL career. Kapanen last represented Finland at the World Championships in 2018, when he was the head coach Lauri Marjamäki.

– It’s great, says Jalonen after a long time to operate with Laine and Kapanen.

– They are top players and good guys. It’s great to get such players in the team. Then the boys have to learn the ways of the house, that is, to play our game. It will take some time, but for sure they will bring us and our fans and viewers a lot of joy.

Kapanen already had time to play Thursday’s match against Sweden Mikael Ruohomaan on the edge of the leading second chain.

Laine, who is known as a winger, got excited at the end of the NHL regular season about his experiment at the center position.

– Let’s take a look at the playing positions in peace, Jalone’s line.

– It’s good that he can play in the middle if needed, but doesn’t get ahead of things.