WC: Team Finland 2019 men's World Championships roster talk

[FiLe]

Yes, for him the money from endorsing a foreign betting company is more important than wearing the jersey of our national team. A fifth column man through and through.

My sarcasm radar's might need syncing. But in case you were serious, I wouldn't say this about a guy who dressed for 7 WHCs for us.

 

[Mestaruus]

My sarcasm radar's might need syncing. But in case you were serious, I wouldn't say this about a guy who dressed for 7 WHCs for us.

Indeed. Komarov has done more than enough for Finland's national team. If he wishes to come back to NT that's only a bonus that we all would probably accept.

 

[jalperi]

Team:

Goaltenders:
30 Kevin Lankinen, Rockford IceHogs, AHL
35 Veini Vehviläinen, Kärpät, Liiga
45 Jussi Olkinuora, Pelicans, Liiga

Defencemens:
4 Mikko Lehtonen, HV71, SHL
7 Oliwer Kaski, Pelicans, Liiga
28 Henri Jokiharju, Chicago Blackhawks, NHL
40 Petteri Lindbohm, Lausanne HC, NLA
50 Miika Koivisto, Dynamo Moskova, KHL
55 Atte Ohtamaa, Kärpät, Liiga
58 Jani Hakanpää, Kärpät, Liiga
70 Niko Mikkola, San Antonio Rampage, AHL

Attackers:
12 Marko Anttila, Jokerit, KHL
15 Arttu Ilomäki, Lukko, Liiga
19 Veli-Matti Savinainen, Kunlun Red Star, KHL
20 Niko Ojamäki, Tappara, Liiga
21 Juhani Tyrväinen, HIFK, Liiga
24 Kaapo Kakko, TPS, Liiga
25 Toni Rajala, EHC Biel, NLA
27 Eetu Luostarinen, KalPa, Liiga
41 Joel Kiviranta, Sport, Liiga
65 Sakari Manninen, Jokerit, KHL
71 Kristian Kuusela, Tappara, Liiga
76 Jere Sallinen, Örebro HK, SHL
82 Harri Pesonen, SCL Tigers, NLA
91 Juho Lammikko, Florida Panthers, NHL

 

[JJTT]

I knew the team was going to be bad but jeez. Why leave out Turunen and Leskinen and pick a team full of grinders.

 

[king89]

Team:

Goaltenders:
30 Kevin Lankinen, Rockford IceHogs, AHL
35 Veini Vehviläinen, Kärpät, Liiga
45 Jussi Olkinuora, Pelicans, Liiga

Defencemens:
4 Mikko Lehtonen, HV71, SHL
7 Oliwer Kaski, Pelicans, Liiga
28 Henri Jokiharju, Chicago Blackhawks, NHL
40 Petteri Lindbohm, Lausanne HC, NLA
50 Miika Koivisto, Dynamo Moskova, KHL
55 Atte Ohtamaa, Kärpät, Liiga
58 Jani Hakanpää, Kärpät, Liiga
70 Niko Mikkola, San Antonio Rampage, AHL

Attackers:
12 Marko Anttila, Jokerit, KHL
15 Arttu Ilomäki, Lukko, Liiga
19 Veli-Matti Savinainen, Kunlun Red Star, KHL
20 Niko Ojamäki, Tappara, Liiga
21 Juhani Tyrväinen, HIFK, Liiga
24 Kaapo Kakko, TPS, Liiga
25 Toni Rajala, EHC Biel, NLA
27 Eetu Luostarinen, KalPa, Liiga
41 Joel Kiviranta, Sport, Liiga
65 Sakari Manninen, Jokerit, KHL
71 Kristian Kuusela, Tappara, Liiga
76 Jere Sallinen, Örebro HK, SHL
82 Harri Pesonen, SCL Tigers, NLA
91 Juho Lammikko, Florida Panthers, NHL

Is this the confirmed team?
EDIT, see now that it is

I'm missing Leskinen and questioning why Kuusela is on the team, otherwise it's fine.

 

[jalperi]

Is this the confirmed team?

Yes it is. Of course they dont accreditate all players instantly.

 

[FiLe]

Opening game lineup could be something like this:

Vehviläinen (Lankinen)

Lehtonen - Koivisto
Mikkola - Jokiharju
Ohtamaa - Hakanpää
Lindbohm

Rajala - Ilomäki - Kakko
Savinainen - Manninen - Kuusela
Kiviranta - Tyrväinen - Ojamäki
Pesonen - Lammikko - Anttila

Tremble before our might, Canada.

 

[FinPanda]

I knew the team was going to be bad but jeez. Why leave out Turunen and Leskinen and pick a team full of grinders.

We don't know if they are injured.

This team is a huge underdog. Also a great opportunity for these guys.

I like our defense. Not sure who will bring the offense though.

 

[FiLe]

St. Louis vs. Dallas just went to game seven. So, theoretically... imagine adding Hintz and Heiskanen to the above setup.

Vehviläinen (Lankinen)

Heiskanen - Jokiharju
Lehtonen - Koivisto
Ohtamaa - Hakanpää
Mikkola - Lindbohm

Rajala - Hintz - Kakko
Savinainen - Ilomäki - Manninen
Kiviranta - Tyrväinen - Ojamäki
Pesonen - Lammikko - Anttila

That would actually almost look like one of our "regular" WHC teams.

But I guess there's no reason to get ahead of ourselves, even if that still is a legit possibility. Still, kinda puts a perspective on how even that lineup is not as bad as it may look. It's just a piece or two away from being quite decent on paper too.

 

[Svedu]

This team is far from decent on paper. It´s a C-team, if even that. When you can't get players like Miro Aaltonen, Hartikainen etc to represent, it´s bad, really bad. And honestly, are you guys saying that Heponiemi is not good enough for this roster? He would probably be an asset on the PP. Jalonen is a great coach but this roster takes it to far in my opinion, you just can´t advance to the finals with this roster. Well, let´s enjoy Jokiharju, Kakko and hopefully some good goaltending. Sad that Miro Aaltonen and some capable and underrated players can´t help us. Even a good player from the KHL like Miro would take a place in the first line, and he is by no means a star in that league. That says it all to me. But, i still like that underdog feeling now and then.

 

[FiLe]

And honestly, are you guys saying that Heponiemi is not good enough for this roster? He would probably be an asset on the PP.

Heponiemi was 3+0 in 17 playoffs games for Kärpät. I think he can be a good player, make it in the NHL. His projected ceiling is definitely higher than some of the players who made this squad. But if Heponiemi really is close to that ceiling now, he had plenty of meaningful games under Manner to show it. He didn't, and giving him a WHC invite isn't going to magically elevate him to it. Proven players may occasionally get passes, unproven ones do not.

And yes, the squad really is better than it looks. Just a couple of top shelf additions would make it look much better. Even as it is, it is a solid middle of the pack team.

 

[Lambo]

This team is far from decent on paper. It´s a C-team, if even that. When you can't get players like Miro Aaltonen, Hartikainen etc to represent, it´s bad, really bad. And honestly, are you guys saying that Heponiemi is not good enough for this roster? He would probably be an asset on the PP. Jalonen is a great coach but this roster takes it to far in my opinion, you just can´t advance to the finals with this roster. Well, let´s enjoy Jokiharju, Kakko and hopefully some good goaltending. Sad that Miro Aaltonen and some capable and underrated players can´t help us. Even a good player from the KHL like Miro would take a place in the first line, and he is by no means a star in that league. That says it all to me. But, i still like that underdog feeling now and then.

But Hartikainen was unconvincible in blue-white yersey yet.

 

[SantosHalper]

Rajala-Ilomäki-Kakko
Savinainen-Manninen-Kuusela
Sallinen(A)-Tyrväinen-Ojamäki
Pesonen-Lammikko-Anttila(A)
Luostarinen, Kiviranta

Lehtonen-Koivisto
Ohtamaa(C)-Kaski
Mikkola-Jokiharju
Lindbohm-Hakanpää

Vehviläinen
Lankinen
Olkinuora

Most hard working team in the tournament, team with no-quit mentality. Defense first, will be obvious game plan.

Hope dies last, remember 1992, 1998 and 2014.

 

[Artorius Horus T]

Its highly mobile & gritty offence, very guy/dude like defense, surprisingly mobile (for bigger ice), with strong goaltending
- team work, togetherness, coaching are the key elements of this roster.

 

[Artorius Horus T]

Heponiemi was 3+0 in 17 playoffs games for Kärpät. I think he can be a good player, make it in the NHL. His projected ceiling is definitely higher than some of the players who made this squad. But if Heponiemi really is close to that ceiling now, he had plenty of meaningful games under Manner to show it. He didn't, and giving him a WHC invite isn't going to magically elevate him to it. Proven players may occasionally get passes, unproven ones do not.

And yes, the squad really is better than it looks. Just a couple of top shelf additions would make it look much better. Even as it is, it is a solid middle of the pack team.

Yes. But the number of scoring chances Hepo created for his linemates was crazy, unfortunately his linemates were shooting blanks,
HPK played really well defensively and Larmi is a really good goalie.

 

[FiLe]

Yes. But the number of scoring chances Hepo created for his linemates was crazy, unfortunately his linemates were shooting blanks,
HPK played really well defensively and Larmi is a really good goalie.

I can understand one opponent being able to shut a player or the team around him down, but this wasn't just the final series vs. HPK - it was the entire playoffs. Also, the only constant in Heponiemi's unit throughout the entire playoffs was Kupari, the rest rotated. So it's kinda peculiar they all suddenly got hands of stone when put into a line with him. I agree that numbers never tell the whole story, but no matter how bad they might be at finishing, creating a "crazy" amount of quality chances should never lead to zero assists. Hockey is a team game, but I don't think Heponiemi can fully be absolved by his linemates being bad at finishing.

Maybe he did better than his stats indicate, but it's still tough to argue he did enough to warrant a direct spot even in this relatively underwhelming WHC squad.

 

[Esko6]

This roster looks promising, I would actually say they are the favourites to beat Great Britain.

 

[king89]

Opening game lineup could be something like this:

Vehviläinen (Lankinen)

Lehtonen - Koivisto
Mikkola - Jokiharju
Ohtamaa - Hakanpää
Lindbohm

Rajala - Ilomäki - Kakko
Savinainen - Manninen - Kuusela
Kiviranta - Tyrväinen - Ojamäki
Pesonen - Lammikko - Anttila

Tremble before our might, Canada.

Pesonen will most likely play in the second line, he has maybe been the best forward in this season EHT games. Otherwise yeah that's probably the lineup Jalonen will go with.

Someone mentioned Miro Aaltonen and Hartikainen, Aaltonen sucked last WC and Hartikainen has never been good when playing for Finland.

 

[Lepardi]

And yes, the squad really is better than it looks. Just a couple of top shelf additions would make it look much better. Even as it is, it is a solid middle of the pack team.

All the Finnish fans who post things like "it would be a miracle if this team even makes it to the quarterfinals" should know that the odds of Finland NOT making it to the quarterfinals are 8/1 as it is.

It's certainly funny right now to think about all those comments bashing Marjamäki we got to read and hear in March and early April last year. I have vivid memories of people saying that no NHLer wants to play for that horrendous coach, but luckily things will change once the well-respected double world champion Jukka Jalonen takes charge. In Herning Finland ended up with Aho, Teräväinen, Rantanen, Granlund, Kapanen, Nutivaara and Honka. Now they've got Jokiharju and Juho Lammikko.

 

[traffic cone]

I think the special teams - mainly powerplay - and goaltending might be the issues for that team. Need to have at least a couple top end guys to get those going.

 

[Snaibberi]

Dont know which is more worrying.. Lack of NHL and KHL players or that we have ECHL quality goalie in our team? Finland is known of its goalies and no matter who, where or when it was one department we didnt need to worry. Vehviläinen is clear number one and lets hope he has god mode on when games start.

List of names who have said no is so long that it is unreal Even the young players who dont have family and are just starting hockey career say NO!?

Even some of the best SM-liiga guys are not around? Is there some sort of rebellion among the players that is not told to the public?

 

[Sanf]

Luostarinen over Ruotsalainen. Well Luostarinen was better in the camp. Similarly the biggest surprise in the team Joel Kiviranta outplayed Joonas Nättinen which is quite a feat. Kuusela on the other hand did not have very good camp, but overall he seems to be the veteran pick in this team. Not surprising. Even as HPK fan don´t believe being that biased while saying that Turunen should have been on the team. I don´t think he was invited.

 

[Mestaruus]

Opening game lineup could be something like this:

Vehviläinen (Lankinen)

Lehtonen - Koivisto
Mikkola - Jokiharju
Ohtamaa - Hakanpää
Lindbohm

Rajala - Ilomäki - Kakko
Savinainen - Manninen - Kuusela
Kiviranta - Tyrväinen - Ojamäki
Pesonen - Lammikko - Anttila

Tremble before our might, Canada.

Finland is still going to beat one of Canada or USA in the round robin. If not, hopefully the best game is saved for the QF game against one of RUS/SWE/CZE/SUI.

 

[Lambo]

Finland is still going to beat one of Canada or USA in the round robin. If not, hopefully the best game is saved for the QF game against one of RUS/SWE/CZE/SUI.

Winning the first 3 games would be a dream.

 

[dima22]

What would be PP units?