U-17 Hockey Challenge: Team Finland

The Finns competed hard in every game and had a .500 record after round robin play. Sadly, they had to rely on the outcome of the Quebec/Pacific game to have a chance to play in the bronze medal game and ultimately, lost-out on the goals for/goals against ratio and finished sixth. They played more of a run-and-gun game, as they had the firepower up front to outscore many teams but simply lacked size up front in the end.

Forwards

With three forwards in the top 12 in scoring, the Finns had no problem scoring. They scored 26 goals in five games. They had balanced production from the three lines they primarily rolled. Their first unit PP consisted of four forwards with the crafty underage - Teemu Pulkkinen manning the point. They had a good mixture of defensive forwards who could substitute and provide timely rests for their star players. The only downfall was their size. Although the Finns played competitively, in the end, they could not battle and generate a good down-low game and had to rely too much on the PP to score.

Grade: A-

Defence

This was a well-put-together-backend but lacked depth at the fifth and sixth spot. As a result, the top-four defenseman had to conserve their collective energies and log a ton of minutes between them. They had good production from their backend, as three different defenseman scored two goals each. As was the case for the forwards, the defense was relatively small and at times, struggled to contain forwards off the rush. They were able to keep up stride-for-stride but did not have a physical element in their game that instilled fear into the opposition.

Grade: B+

Goaltending

Usually the calling card of most Finnish teams, this time the goaltending position proved to be the Achilles heel. Allowing more goals than it scored in tournament play usually does not win you many hockey games. Erno Suomalainen was the starter and in four games posted an atrocious .838 save percentage. The Finns were a resilient group and mounted several comebacks in their games. Suomalainen's complete inability to make a key save and surrender weak goals was a key reason why they lost games.

Grade: D-

The Finns have managed to produce some offensively gifted players, which is a change from year's past. The defence core is also impressive in this age group and they should only get better with increased size and weight. Goalies are a unique breed and hopefully for the Finns program, one emerges out of nowhere to make this team and improve its chances in future international competition.

Grade: B-

Scouting Notes

Tommi Kvisto (2009), D, Jokerit Helsinki

The biggest defender standing 6-foot-1 and 190 pounds, was a threat on the PP, as he registered both of his goals with the man advantage .. he had a cannon of a shot but also had the presence of mind to take some off his shot to get it on net .. very gifted and creative offensively .. he is a healthy puck mover that explodes in the neutral zone with the puck on his blade .. when he has the puck in his possession, he thinks the game faster than his peers do .. positioning himself well in the neutral zone resulted in many turnovers caused directly by him .. he makes smart chip passes up ice, often using the boards to his advantage .. he will gamble at the line and his decision-making is good but at times, he gets caught .. due to his long stride and above-average feet, he can recover quickly but he still needs to be cognoscente and pick his spots better .. he plays with sandpaper and will rub out his man along the glass .. he plays within the box down low and is not easily drawn out of position .. the same things that make him successful in the neutral zone, he does not apply in the defensive zone, as he rarely uses his stick to defend .. his lack of stick involvement usually gives the opposition a few more feet of real estate, which led to a few scoring chances and subsequently goals .. a healthy package of skill and a competent skater, he participated in the Under 18 Ivan Hlinka tournament and is widely regarded in the Finnish hockey program .. his gangly frame should fill out and if he can eliminate mental errors from his game and be less lackadaisical when handling the puck, his stock is sure to rise for next year's NHL entry draft.

Nico Manelius (2009), D, Jokerit Helsinki

The captain of the team provided stability and a healthy defensive conscious at all times .. curbed his fondness for logging up the puck and being an offensive force, as he played the role of a defensive defenseman .. great size and reach, which married well with his speed and overall mobility .. his reverse movement needs some work but his lateral movement was paramount to halting many offensive breakouts and closing the gap quickly .. his one-on-one coverage was also very effective, as he could stay stride for stride for the most part and was able to smother his man down low .. he has offensive skills and even though they were not always on display, he knows what to do with open ice and can jump into the attack .. he did an admirable jump of sustaining pressure by making subtle plays on the line that kept the puck in deep .. another member who participated on the Under 18 in the summer, Manelius plays a very mature risk-free game .. he appears bigger than his size and still has room to grow .. his ability to play well and complement others makes him an ideal top-four defender and a sought after mid-round pick for next year's NHL entry draft.

Rasmus Rissanen (2009), D, KalPa Kuopio

Cut from the defensive mold, his attention to detail on the backend allowed other swifter, yet smaller offensive-minded defenseman to play their game .. concentrated primarily on the backend duties .. he has a good-sized frame to shield the puck and usually made a healthy decision when forced to make a play with the puck .. his ability to not only rid the puck out of the zone but make an effective play with it, resulted in good puck possession up ice for the Finn forwards .. he has a galloping stride and loses some momentum out of the gate due to his skating style .. nonetheless, his reverse movement and overall mobility were not seriously exposed due to his stride .. he shows some jam but does not produce the thundering hits one might expect from a player his size .. his balance comes into question, however, he takes his man out efficiently .. considered more of a project at this stage that is not exceptional at any area.

Sami Vatanen (2009), D, JYP Jyvaskyla

The most dynamic offensive defenseman but also the smallest player in the tournament at 5-foot-7 and 135 pounds .. he controlled many of the breakouts for this Finnish team .. his puck rushing ability and agility were very hard to contain .. his first step out of the blocks flatters his game as an offensive-minded defenseman .. he was given a lot of responsibility on the PP and although he has an average shot, he was able to get pucks on the net and was not afraid to shoot .. he was their first option on the PP and as a result, he was able to record 5-2-3-5 totals, leading the team in defenseman scoring and good for fourth overall amongst defenseman in the tournament .. his reads in the defensive zone are good too but he has a considerable amount of work to do .. he uses his body positionally to take up as much space as he can but he is not much of a hitter or physical due to his size, so as a result, he loses valuable ice with bigger, more assertive forwards .. plays a game eerily similar to Brian Campbell and given the new rule changes and constant need for offensive-minded defenseman of his skill set, he should warrant some looks however, he will need to grow a fair bit to be considered for next year's NHL draft.

Mikaul Grunland (2010), C, Karpat Oulu

One of three-underage forwards on this team .. the slight, yet skilled Grunland had a hard time capitalizing on his chances due to his lack of strength .. can get open and has a good shot, although his accuracy will need to be worked on .. has good hockey sense and knows where to go after the faceoff .. solid faceoff skills and was relied upon heavily to win many draws deep in his zone on the PK .. slippery and elusive in the offensive zone, he creates with his clever stickhandling skills and has a knack for finding open ice .. his skating also lends credit to his game .. he has good speed but not for prolonged periods due to his leg strength .. size is certainly an issue at this stage but he has time on his side.

Erik Haula (2009), LW, Assat Pori

Was the beneficiary of playing on the top unit with two incredibly gifted offensive players in Rajala and Nattinen .. was able to generate offence by himself, as his compassion for attacking and finishing his chances down low were impressive .. he plays with an unrivaled courage and despite his scrawny frame, he eagerly hurls himself toward larger objects with little fear .. his scrappy style of play allots him precious real estate for him to capitalize on his chances .. finished seventh in tournament scoring, as he registered double-digit point totals 5-2-8-10 .. his passing skills down low and flair for drawing guys out of position with quick stick moves often left other teammates wide open for a perfect pass that he could complete .. his patience and concentration in traffic make him such a successful player .. his stick preparation and competitiveness also round out his offensive skill set .. he wants to do it all by himself at times and can get frustrated easily and losing his focus by taking costly penalties .. his fire must be contained in order for him to play an effective game .. should be a constant on all Finnish national junior teams, as his ability to create and play a good all-around game complements their program.

Jere Laaksonen (2009), C, Lukko Rauma

Second line centre is a highly intelligent player who reads breakouts well and anticipates accordingly .. not much of a skater, he has average speed, yet he always manages to be around the puck .. posted over a point a game, 5-2-4-6 scoring totals .. he has a good nose for the net .. he works give-and-goes well and excels in a cycle game .. he has a decent touch around the net but will not score many highlight-reel goals .. he has a heavy shot but only an average release .. he does a good job to get it off in traffic, often using an opposing forward as a screen to catch the goalie off guard .. the use of a short stick helps him manufacture scoring chances, as he can lead a charge offensively all the while protecting the puck in his skates .. he plays gritty but is clean .. he does not need to be reminded to come back and often plays deep in the defensive zone offering his utmost cooperation with his defenders .. his attention to detail and overall awareness are calling cards that cannot be ignored however, upgrades to his skating are an absolute priority.

Joonas Nattinen (2009), RW, JYP Jyvaskyla

Situated on the first line, he excelled mainly due to the room his size could create and his teammates superb passing skills .. intelligent player able to play with players of a superior skill set due to his simple approach to the game .. he goes to the slot to unleash his shot and has a quick release .. his stick is always on the ice expecting a pass .. he lacks creativity with the puck, as his passing skills and vision are average .. he is more of an up-and-down winger .. he engages in corner battles with a modest degree of success but for the most part, he plays his wing .. not overly versed in his turns, his thick stride garners momentum but he is not a dynamic skater .. he has a tendency to float and appears at times to be out of it mentally .. he makes wide-looping circles instead of taking the direct route to a scoring area .. he is big but does not play a physical game and questions about his overall intensity come to mind when he stopped competing after being hit.

Harri Palve (2009), RW, Karpat Oulu

Struggled to find his game, as the pace appeared to be to fast for him .. he did show a willingness to be involved and used his size (6-3, 190), effectively to block shooting lanes and provide a calming, defensive approach while the star players rested .. very limited in terms of offensive ability, as his hands are slow and his vision is not quite there .. he is a lumbering skater but always comes back and defends his goal .. due to his growth spurt coordination, issues are present, however, he does show enough during games to at least be on the radar.

Teemu Pulkkinen (2010), RW, Jokerit Helsinki

Finished in the top 12 in scoring and was the second highest 1992-born scorer in this tournament .. a sensationally gifted player whose hockey sense is off the charts .. he makes passes to areas in which teammates are going to be .. his hands are lighting quick .. he often makes several moves in tight spaces to get into a better shooting or passing position .. he employs a series of head fakes and body shifts to get by defenders even though his speed is merely average at this point .. very difficult to contain when he has garnered some speed .. he displays a quick burst of speed in open ice and often seizes loose pucks .. he has a tendency to leave the zone with the puck and make mad rushes to the net at times and losing his options forcing him to hold onto the puck too long .. he does not give away the puck however and will skate all over the offensive zone to identify the best possible option .. he needs to be able to use his linemates quicker but he can get away with it at this level - so he does .. he wants the puck all the time .. he likes to shoot and is a very gifted offensive player, as he often curls his stick blade making it almost impossible for a goalie to get a read on his actions .. he stays with plays and follows them well in the neutral zone but he does not always come back as far as he should defensively .. this could have been a coaching tactic to make him the high man in an attempt to stimulate offence .. playing on a highly regarded team as Jokerit Helsinki as an underage forward is an impressive feat .. he should continue to get better with the increased competition he faces and should be a highly sought after prospect for many years to come.

Toni Rajala (2009), C, Ilves Tampere

Slowly solidifying himself as one of the most dangerous offensive players for the 2009 draft, as he silently produces at every tournament he participates in and is leading his league in scoring .. a natural finisher with a keen sense of anticipation .. his offensive reads cannot be taught and when he has the puck 10 feet from the goal line, it usually results in a faceoff at centre ice .. he plays with a bit of cockiness, which infuriates the opposition, often forcing them to haul him down giving his team the man advantage .. a better finisher than playmaker, he is not at his best when handling the puck .. yet, he can control the tempo in the offensive zone, as opponents respect him too much .. he has a nice patent move he uses to sneak out of the corner and uses toe drags to elude forwards but for the most part, he moves into scoring areas and bangs home rebounds if he is in front .. he finds ways to put the puck on the net and never hesitates to shoot .. he can be selfish at times, taking shots just inside the zone when he crosses the blueline .. he does not always make his teammates better with his decision-making .. he shows an interest and applies himself on the backcheck only when the puck is in his sights .. his intensity wanes when the puck is not on his stick and he can be down right lazy at times .. perhaps with some added confidence in the weight gain department, he will play a more complete game, as he is a slight 5-foot-9, 145-pounder .. that being said, his offensive game is solid however, his lack of physical involvement cripples the type of game that is necessary to thrive at the NHL level .. he needs to play with more urgency to be considered a top-10 selection next year.