2025 World Juniors: Can Team Finland bounce back after brutal ending from last year?

Credit: Steven Ellis/Daily Faceoff

There used to be a time not too long ago when Finland seemed to either win gold or barely avoid relegation at this tournament.

Fortunately, they’ve managed to shed that image in recent years and haven’t finished worse than fifth since 2018. Since then, they won gold in 2019, silver in 2022 and bronze in 2021 – all coming in Canada. Now back in Ottawa, Finland is hoping to get back to the top step of the podium for the first time in over half a decade. The Finns have had some close looks and nearly won their third medal in four years before a late-game collapse to Czechia last January.

Finland might not be the favorite to win gold, but decent depth at every position should give them a realistic shot at competing for a medal of some sort over the next few weeks.

Looking Back at 2024

What a roller coaster 2024 was – especially the bronze medal game. The Finns lost 5-2 to Canada in the opener before losing 4-3 to Germany – Finland’s first loss to the Germans in tournament history. Their 4-0 win over Latvia two days later gave them some much-needed life, but they needed to figure things out – and fast. A 5-4 shootout victory over Sweden wasn’t enough to catapult Finland higher in the standings, but it did give them some much-needed momentum heading into the medal round.

From there, the Finns needed extra time to beat Slovakia 4-3 – a tighter affair than they were likely expecting. They then lost 3-2 to a United States team that seemingly saw its offense dry up at nearly the worst time possible, with the Finns then having to settle for the bronze game. At one point, they looked safe, entering the third period with a 5-3 lead over Czechia. But in perhaps one of the worst single-period collapses in tournament history, the Finns allowed a power-play goal to Jiri Kulich four minutes into the third to make it 5-4. From there, the Czechs scored four goals in under a minute, giving them the improbable 8-5 victory – leaving the Finns with nothing to show for.

Goaltenders

*Kim Saarinen (Steven Ellis/Daily Faceoff)*

While Finland’s goaltending might not be the top in the tournament, it should be enough to contend with the best. Petteri Rimpinen is projected to be the No. 1 after putting up excellent numbers against pros in the Finnish Liiga. The undrafted goalkeeper had some rough moments during the U-18 World Championship last year and has generally struggled with the national team. Hopefully, the experience as one of the best U-20 goaltenders in the Finnish pro league will help him stand out.

Kim Saarinen, meanwhile, was much better internationally last year but hasn’t been as good at the pro level. Still, he’s the only NHL-drafted goalie on this team, having gone 88th overall to the Seattle Kraken in 2024. It’s easy to understand why – he has an excellent 6-foot-4 frame and moves exceptionally well. Don’t be surprised if he’s the starter come playoff time.

There’s also Noa Vali, who has had a rough go with TPS this year. He played in two WJC games a year ago and won both. He’s also the oldest of the bunch, but his poor play might push him out of a chance to see much action. Vali has been passed over twice and likely won’t get selected again this year, but he has plenty of experience with Finland internationally, so the team knows what he’s capable of.

Defensemen

*Kalle Kangas (Steven Ellis/Daily Faceoff)*

The Finns with have five NHL-drafted defenders to choose from, and the most notable might be Aron Kiviharju. An injury-plagued season, followed up by an average-at-best showing at the U-18s, turned Kiviharju into a player many expected to go in the top 10 into a fourth-round pick by the Minnesota Wild. He’s arguably the most skilled defender on this team, and one of the best playmaking defenders in the tourney, period. He also has plenty of pro experience, having spent the past three years in Liiga (albeit with just seven games played last year). When he’s healthy and playing at his best, Kiviharju can be a standout option. We’ll see how things come together in his first World Juniors.

Next up, a pair of Pittsburgh Penguins selections: Emil Pieniniemi and Kalle Kangas. Both have looked excellent for Finland in the past, including at the 2024 tournament. Expect both to play bigger roles this time around, especially Pieniniemi, who is producing at over a point per game in his first year in the OHL. Both should be top-four options for a team that needs hockey IQ and experience. Pieniniemi is the more skilled puck-moving option (although his 6-foot-3 frame is a bonus), while Kangas likes to hit everyone in sight and is as good defensively as anyone on this team.

Heading back to Minnesota, Sebastian Soini is a mobile defender who moves quite well under pressure with the puck. He’s not flashy, and he has never really shown big-time offensive chops, but he can play a lot of minutes and doesn’t get pressured into many mistakes. The final NHL-affiliated defender, Veeti Vaisanen, is having an OK season with Medicine Hat after going 96th overall to the Utah Hockey Club. He’s looking a bit more aggressive than we saw a year ago and he’s a decent puck-mover, too.

Two other defenders to watch out for: Daniel Nieminen and Mitja Jokinen. Nieminen was one of Finland’s more creative players in U-18 play last year, while Jokinen was the team’s top blueliner at the U-18s. Mixed in with a full season of Liiga action to date and some solid numbers with the U-20 national team and there’s a lot to like about the undersized defender.

Forwards

Konsta Helenius (Steven Ellis/Daily Faceoff)

The Finns might not have a clear No. 1 star up front (they rarely do) but they’ve got plenty of high-impact forwards that’ll make this group dangerous. It starts with Konsta Helenius, the Buffalo Sabres prospect coming off a year that saw him play at the World Juniors, U-18 World Championship and the senior World Championship. He has adjusted to life in the AHL quite quickly, registering six goals and 16 points in 26 games with the Rochester Americans. Look for the confident, smart, skilled center to take center stage at this tournament.

Rasmus Kumpulainen played more of a depth-scoring role last year but should be leaned on a bit more this time. The Wild prospect has put up decent numbers in Liiga after nearly finishing as a point-per-game player with the Oshawa Generals last year. Another returning player is Detroit Red Wings pick Jesse Kiiskinen, who is on pace to finish with just under 50 points with HPK in Liiga this year. Those are some incredible numbers for a U-20 player, and he’s almost always one of Finland’s top players whenever he hits the ice.

Finland has seen some quality hockey out of New York Islanders prospect Jesse Nurmi this year. He hasn’t done a lot with London, but he’s a dual threat as a shooter and a set-up guy and always seems to show up when the Finns need him. Speaking of London, Kasper Halttunen is one of the most fascinating players on this team. He’s a 6-foot-3 power forward who brings pure violence to every shift – whether it be with his blistering shot or his massive hits. He hasn’t played a ton between the OHL and AHL this year, but the San Jose Sharks prospect should be one of Finland’s most lethal players, especially on the power play.

Emil Hemming is a guy many scouts really like. Taken 29th overall by the Dallas Stars last June, the 18-year-old made an impact as an energetic, two-way threat that could do any role asked of him last year. This season, he’s showing his playmaking chops with the OHL’s Barrie Colts, and has put in some good performances already with Finland’s U-20 squad. Look for him to play in the middle-six as a returnee.

Julius Miettinen is likely going to be more of a depth forward on this team, but he’ll be a good one. The Kraken draft pick is a hard-shooting two-way center who can get physical and bring energy whenever needed. Tampa Bay Lightning product Joona Saarelainen, a 5-foot-9 forward, has been one of Finland’s most productive 2006-born forwards the past few years and should remain that as an energetic, two-way scoring threat.

Philadelphia Flyers pick Heikki Ruohonen will also play a bit deeper in the lineup, but he has produced well among his age group the past two years and will almost definitely be a top-six threat next year. Vegas Golden Knights’ Tomas Uronen, meanwhile, won’t blow you away with pure skill, but he’s scoring at a solid rate this year after missing most of 2023-24 with an injury.

2025 NHL Draft Watch

*Petteri Rimpinen (Steven Ellis/Daily Faceoff)*

The Finns don’t have a first-year eligible prospect to choose from – and, truthfully, the nation’s 2007-born class is just simply too weak. Rimpinen could earn some love as a second-year prospect due to the way he’s playing with Kiekko-Espoo. It’s hard to be an 18-year-old starter in pro hockey, but he hasn’t looked flustered in the slightest and has outperformed Marcus Hellgren-Smed by quite a margin. A good showing here wouldn’t hurt Rimpinen’s chances of getting selected this time around.

Projection

The Finns mean business this year, bringing a lineup with some decent options at every position. They’re not as deep or as skilled as Canada, USA or Sweden, but they’ve got plenty of experience together and contain players looking to get revenge for early exits at the U-18s the past two years. Two things will be key: secondary scoring, and goaltending. Helenius, Kiiskinen and Halttunen are going to be relied on heavily to get pucks on net, but they need the depth options to show up as well. Goaltending-wise, they’ve got three options that all could realistically carry the load in net, but they need just one to stand up when it matters most. On paper, the Finns look like a third-place team in Group A, but they should be able to handle Czechia, Slovakia or Switzerland in the crossover playoff round if that ends up being the case. The Finns should be a medal contender, no question about it.

Round-Robin Schedule

Dec. 26 vs. Canada: 7:30 PM ET
Dec. 27 vs. Germany: 3:30 PM ET
Dec. 29 vs. USA: 2:30 PM ET
Dec. 31 vs. Latvia: 2:30 PM ET

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