U18 Ivan Hlinka Tournament: Finland Part 2

McKeen's Chief Scout David Burstyn reports on the other notable performers from Finland's silver medal-winning team at the Under-18 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament, including team captain Teemu Hartikainen and intriguing 2009 draft-eligible center Joonas Nattinen.

Sami Blomqvist (2008), LW, Blues

Undersized winger is a fireball of offense who bustles into traffic .. employed on the top line as he possesses complementary offensive skills backed by a sizzling wrister .. tends to relies on his skill a bit too much and can be invisible on some shifts .. attempts to assert himself physically but too often just bounces off the opposition .. will even bail out at times if he sees a hit coming .. likes to play a dump and chase game .. struggles to beat big defenders 1-on-1 .. prefers to utilize his speed to the outside .. has a unique skill set as he may make a serviceable checker with some offensive punch in the future. Tournament Stats: 4-0-1-1, 0PIM, MINUS-3

Teemu Hartikainen (2008), RW, KalPa

Team captain is a clever player who thrives in tight spaces .. a burly, up-right skater .. works and positions his body effectively in a cycle game .. needs to push his weight around to be successful as he excels in physical contests .. seemed to lose interest and displayed little intensity without the puck at times .. appears to lack vision as he often plays with blinders on and rarely turns his head when handling the puck .. does boast a nice release and uses his shot often .. plays with an edge and has the ability to get under opponents skin - got overly cocky after scoring an empty-net goal against Team USA .. should be a serviceable player at later levels of competition. Tournament Stats: 4-2-0-2, 16PIM, MINUS-1

Matias Myttynen (2008), C, Ilves

Myttynen will generate most if not all of his chances as a result of his hard work and penchant for following up his own rebounds .. a below-average skater whose balance and mobility are very poor .. actually uses his stick to lean on when turning .. conversely, he is an exceptionally bright hockey player who knows how to use his frame to buy time and space .. the type of player who doesn't mind scoring the garbage goals and will always force himself to the net .. protects the puck well and often moves unhindered into the offensive zone as a result .. still a good player under the surface despite his obvious skating flaws, and one who will be drafted in June. Tournament Stats: 4-2-1-3, 2PIM, MINUS-1

Joonas Nattinen (2009), C, JYP

The second `91-born forward on the roster .. played on the second line alongside fellow underager Toni Rajala .. a persistent player who isn't afraid to try new things .. always moving his big body and getting into shooting lanes while consistently keeping himself square to the net .. still quite raw though - his coordination hasn't keep pace with his growth spurts .. muscles his way into the offensive zone with long thick strides .. finished his checks but looked fatigued at the end of shifts and clearly needs to improve his strength, stamina and conditioning .. also lost too many key faceoffs .. still showed plenty of promise based on his age and involvement at this tournament. Tournament Stats: 4-1-0-1, 8PIM, PLUS-3

Pekka Jormakka (2008), RW, JYP

A solid second-line player due to an ability to adapt to his surroundings .. deployed as the defensive conscious on a line with offense-minded players .. only an average skillset, yet understands when to unload his shot and isn't shy about firing pucks to the net .. also showcased some impressive offensive ability during 2-on-1 and 3-on-2 situations, making smart and productive plays .. wins the races to loose pucks thanks to a startling second gear .. however he was guilty at times of playing a reactive game which essentially crippled his involvement in the defensive half of the ice .. needs to make substantial upgrades in all facets of his game. Tournament Stats: 4-1-2-3, 0PIM, PLUS-3

Aleksi Elorinne (2008), D, Blues

A physically imposing defender with little offensive jam .. basically plays a defensive role .. always looking for the big hit, yet too often takes himself out of the play as a consequence .. rigid with poor mobility and average feet, his play was hindered by an inability to skate backwards .. unpolished puck skills - passes are below par while his shot is not overly hard .. strong and rather sturdy on his skates, and can effectively pin his checks against the boards if and when he does manage to catch up to an opponent .. just an ordinary defenseman who brought precious little to the table except size. Tournament Stats: 4-0-0-0, 2PIM, PLUS-1

Teemu Eronen (2009), D, Jokerit

Yet another Finnish defender with limited footwork and average speed .. quite slow - lost plenty of races and puck battles despite a furious, near-running like stride .. his puck skills are also still raw .. doesn't always find the best outlets and will resort to using the boards more often than not .. excels on the powerplay where he has the time and space to unleash his booming slapshot, which is how he scored his only goal of the tournie .. displayed a strong down-low presence and was okay defensively .. not many players managed to get around him without paying a price. Tournament Stats: 4-1-0-1, 8PIM, PLUS-1