The Buffalo Sabers prevented Konsta Helenius from playing in the World Junior Championships. As a salary payer, the NHL team has every right to it.
Konsta Helenius in action at last year’s World Championships in Ottawa. This year, the Buffalo Sabers player will not come to the World Cup. PDO
Head coach of the under-20 national team Lauri Mikkola no longer bothering his head with the Konsta Helenius topic.
Due to his age, Helenius would still have fit into the Finnish team, but the youngster’s payer, the Buffalo Sabres, did not allow the Tappara-bred to the tournament.
– That’s not it. That was the decision of the Buffalo Sabers organization and we live with it now. It’s no longer necessary to think about what changes Helenius’ joining the team might have made.
– I have full faith in these participating players. I don’t feel like I’m chasing anyone anymore, Mikkola tells Iltalehte on Christmas Eve.
“I don’t take a stand”
Lauri Mikkola is the head coach of the Finnish under-20 national ice hockey team. Henri Kärkkäinen
Jarmo Kekäläinen is the Sabres’ new general manager. He made the decision in the Helenius case.
Are you disappointed with Kekäläinen’s decision?
– I am not disappointed. He made a decision in the best interest of the NHL club, and now it went like this. I won’t take any further stand on the matter, Mikkola continues.
Helenius has played 27 matches in Rochester’s shirt this season and scored 9+17=26 power points in them. The center forward is close to an NHL call-up.
On Christmas Eve in the morning, the Finnish team moved by bus from the camp town of Duluth to the competition town of Minneapolis.
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Finland’s matches
Initial block (Finnish time)
- Fri 26.12. at 22:30 Finland–Denmark
- Sun 28.12. at 23:30 Finland–Latvia
- Mon 29.12. at 22:30 Finland–Czech Republic
- Thu 1.1. at 03:30 Finland–Canada
TV5 shows Finland’s matches.