Morning Notes: Maatta, Martone, Faber
Flames defenseman Olli Määttä is the first NHLer officially named to Finland’s roster for next month’s World Championship, according to an announcement from the national program. The tournament kicks off in Switzerland on May 15. It will be the shutdown rearguard’s fourth appearance for his country at the Worlds and his first since 2024.
While he went to the event three times in a four-year span, his only miss in that frame coincided with the country’s most recent gold medal in 2022. Now a fixture on the national team, Määttä has donned Finland’s colors at last year’s 4 Nations Face-Off as well as this year’s Winter Olympics. He took home a silver medal with Finland at the 2021 Worlds. He has a 1-9–10 scoring line and a +3 rating in 26 career games at the event.
After sitting most of the season in the Mammoth’s press box, Calgary picked him up as a contract dump in the MacKenzie Weegar trade. The 31-year-old excelled down the stretch, averaging 22:30 per night on a paper-thin Flames blue line while potting 14 points and a -1 rating in 21 games. All of that offense came at even strength, as well. Signed for two more seasons at a cap hit of $3.5MM, he’ll be an everyday option once again next season in a Calgary pool largely devoid of long-term impact lefties outside of top-pair fixture Kevin Bahl and the emerging Yan Kuznetsov.
More from around the league as the first Game 2s of the first round get underway tonight:
- Flyers winger Porter Martone‘s arrival has been one of the best stories over the past few weeks. The 2025 sixth overall pick finished his season with 10 points through his first nine career games following his exodus from Michigan State, and he followed that up with the game-winning goal Saturday for the Flyers’ first postseason victory in six years. Yesterday, he told Kevin Kurz of The Athletic that he’s been relying on support from a close friend and another standout rookie – Islanders Calder Trophy shoo-in Matthew Schaefer – for advice throughout the year. He credits those talks for helping him exhibit the confidence he’s put on display thus far. “I think the big thing that made him successful was, he was himself,” Martone told Kurz. “You see how much of an impact he made on that organization, how much he contributed to that team. For me, that’s what I try to do coming here. Just be who I am, as a player and as a person.”
- Wild defenseman Brock Faber was initially quite unhappy with the organization’s decision to sit him for “forced rest” for the final two games of the regular season, but he’s quickly changed his tune on that following their Game 1 win over the Stars on Saturday, he tells The Athletic’s Michael Russo. “I think everyone was kind of in the same boat there, where you hate to watch the game from the stands but when you get told that’s what you’re doing, I think you can kind of look at it one of two ways,” Faber said. “We did take advantage of the rest. Obviously, it’s been a long year for us and we just needed to do everything we could to prepare for this series and hopefully a long run here. So I think that’s what we did, and it was definitely beneficial.” Faber recorded his first career playoff point in the win, along with a league-high +4 rating.
Big Hype Prospects: Suvanto, Dagenais, Willis, Tomek
Pre-tournament action has kicked off at the IIHF U18 Men’s World Championship. This year will be a tournament to watch, with standout draft talent spread across a big group of contenders. This will be a last chance to convince the NHL scouts for 2026 NHL Draft talent, while many 2027 NHL Draft stars will be looking to snag early attention. To celebrate one of the top tournaments of the draft season, we will once again borrow MLB Trade Rumors’ Big Hype Prospect series to cover four names to watch.
Four Big Hype Prospects
Team Finland – Oliver Suvanto, C, Tappara (Liiga)
48 GP, 2 G – 9 A – 11 TP, 16 PIM, +3
Oliver Suvanto has held the attention of many scouts for the last two seasons. He is a strong and heavy center who checks a lot of boxes. Suvanto can win faceoffs and shut down opponents defensively. He plays a smart, heads-up game that switches from defense to offense quickly. But in the first pro season of his career, his offense struggled to stand out. Suvanto didn’t help his case at the 2026 World Junior Championships, where he scored only two goals in seven games. He has otherwise scored eight points in 13 international games with Finland this year – and undoubtedly stands as the team’s top center headed into the U18 Worlds. A point-per-game player in Finland’s U20 league last season, Suvanto has a proven oomph to his offense and an overwhelming two-way style. He could be the leader of a big tournament for Finland, or may string out doubts with another low-scoring tournament. The opportunity under the spotlight will mean more for Suvanto’s draft stock than many of his peers.
Team Canada – Maddox Dagenais, C, Quebec Remparts (QMJHL)
62 GP, 30 G – 32 A – 62 TP, 31 PIM
There may not be a hotter draft prospect than Quebec’s Maddox Dagenais. The chippy shooter had 13 multi-point games after January 1st, en route to 20 goals and 43 points in the last 40 games of the season. Dagenais plays a straightforward game, dominating opponents with his downhill play-driving, quick cuts with the puck, and feisty physical strength. He can toss opponents off of him and plays with reckless abandon while diving into puck battles. That is both a pro and con for Dagenais, not helped along by questions around if he can really take over play-driving. That will make the U18 Worlds a golden opportunity for Dagenais, providing him a chance to build his high-energy style off of other Canadian stars. If he proves he can control play, Dagenais could be fighting for first-round attention at this tournament. After all, he brings the shooting, hitting, and swagger that many teams look for with their top pick.
Team USA – Brayden Willis, RW, U.S. National U17 Team (NTDP)
51 GP, 20 G – 28 A – 48 TP, 26 PIM
This will be a last showing for the 2026 class, and first impressions for much of the 2027 class. Team USA star Brayden Willis sits behind both groups, born one day into eligibility for the 2028 NHL Draft. He opened USA’s pre-tournament action on the top-line – carrying over momentum earned from a standout season with the U17 National Team Development Program. Willis proved to be the lineup’s workhorse, matching a chippy and confident style with lightning-quick reactions and skill. He is a dynamo who routinely connected with high-skill teammates like Carter Meyer – also on the U18 roster. Willis will play on house money by even stepping into the tournament lineup, getting an early chance to steer ahead of the 2028 class. He could build momentum if his confident and chippy game earns him some hard-earned scoring.
Team Czechia – Petr Tomek, LW, Energie Karlovy Vary (Czechia Extraliga)
51 GP, 13 G – 7 A – 20 TP, 12 PIM, +2
European fans were watching for one name on U18 rosters. 17 year old winger Petr Tomek has caught waves of attention over the course of his first season in Czechia’s top pro league. The challenge of a physical league and a skinny frame did not faze Tomek, who played with an overabundance of confidence and skill this season. He is a smooth puck-handler who knows how to slow down time as he enters the offensive zone to find shooting lanes and scoring chances. That helped Tomek notch eight points in 11 international games with Team Czechia’s U18 roster, and four points in four games with the U20 roster, earlier this season. He will enter the U18 Worlds as one of Czechia’s most dynamic, offensive talents. Paying off that standing with flashy scoring could go far in helping NHL scouts overlook his skinny build.
Panthers’ Aleksander Barkov To Play At World Championship
Florida Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov missed the entirety of the 2025-26 season with a knee injury sustained during training camp. On the other side of a losing year for the Panthers, Barkov is finally nearing a return to game action. The star center is expected to play for Team Finland at the 2026 World Championship, Florida head coach Paul Maurice told George Richards of Florida Hockey Now.
Barkov is a cornerstone piece of every lineup he’s apart of. The 30 year old scored 20 goals and 71 points in 67 games of the 2024-25 NHL season. He capped the year off with 22 points in 23 games en route to a 2025 Stanley Cup championship, the same point total and outcome that he reached in the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Barkov was the first European captain to lead his team to back-to-back Stanley Cups.
Routine playoff appearances have kept Barkov from appearing in many of Finland’s international tournaments as of late. He captained the Finns at the 2025 4-Nations Face-Off and scored two points in three games. Outside of that, his last appearance with Finland was at the 2017 World Cup, where he posted no scoring in three games. Barkov has played in two World Championships – marked by 16 points in 17 games – and the 2014 Winter Olympics where he had one point in two games.
Each of those international appearances were on the other side of Barkov’s ascension towards superstardom. He has won three Selke Trophies as the league’s best defensive-forward and consistently earned votes for the Hart Memorial Trophy and Lady Byng Memorial Trophy since his 2017 World Cup appearance. Barkov also won the 2025 King Clancy Memorial Trophy, awarded on the basis of leadership and humanitarian contribution. He also became a franchise owner of the Liiga’s Tappara, part of Finland’s top pro league, in 2020. Barkov has grown into a face of Finnish hockey in North America and routinely rivals point-per-game scoring in the NHL.
It is with the weight of a missed NHL season – and a missed Olympic Games – that Barkov will now enter the 2026 World Championship. He will be among the Finns’ biggest scoring threats and could challenge the most ice time on the team each game. Finland will also lean on Florida’s Anton Lundell and Seattle Kraken winger Kaapo Kakko to bolster their lineup, with much of the country’s top NHL talent headed towards the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Either way, Barkov’s return will be far more than the addition of one more player. It will also give the reigning Cup captain a chance to get back to full speed before the 2026-27 campaign is underway.
2026 Olympic Men’s Hockey Medal Matchups Set
The stage has been set for the medal games for the 2026 Winter Olympic’s Men’s Hockey tournament. Team Canada was the first to seal a path to the Gold medal game with their 3-2 win over Team Finland on Friday. Soon after, Team USA earned the spot of contender with a confident 6-2 win over Team Slovakia. While the hockey world’s top rivals face off for Gold, the Bronze medal game will host the losing-parties, Finland and Slovakia.
A Canada and USA matchup seemed like the inevitable outcome of the NHL’s return to the Winter Olympics. After three tournaments without the world’s top talent, this year’s tournament has shown the next-level speed, skill, and strength that the NHL’s stars bring. Canada has been led by a superstar top line – with proven-greats Connor McDavid and Nathan MacKinnon joined by Macklin Celebrini, the youngest skater to suit up for Canada at an Olympic men’s hockey tournament. Celebrini has played well above his age, leading the entire tournament in goals with five through as many games. He ranks second in total scoring with 10 points, behind McDavid’s 13 points.
With a robust cast and a confident goalie backing their top line, Canada won’t be an easy out. Team USA will attempt the feat with a well-rounded lineup, backed by reigning NHL Hart Trophy-winner Connor Hellebuyck, the first goalie to win the award since 2015. The Americans have spread their offense out, with each of Brady Tkachuk, Matthew Tkachuk, Jack Hughes, Quinn Hughes, and Jack Eichel stepping up to drive play at any given time. Those drivers are flanked by impact scorers like Auston Matthews, Matt Boldy, and Zach Werenski – giving the United States a roster that brings 60 minutes of dangerous offense.
The Team Canada versus Team USA matchup will carry a bit more oomph after the USA women’s team beat Canada by a score of 2-1 on Thursday. During the game, USA captain Hilary Knight recorded her 33rd career point at the Olympics, surpassing Jenny Potter for the country’s women’s record. Knight still ranks behind Canadian star Marie-Philip Poulin‘s 39 career points, though the former prevailed in the Gold matchup.
Meanwhile, Slovakia will stand up to a tough test for the Bronze medal. They brought the fourth-fewest NHL players of any team at this year’s tournament. Despite that, a cohesive and physical front has led the Slovaks above usual-contenders Team Sweden, who brought a full roster of NHL talent. The Finns have 24 NHL players, one shy of a full roster, and have leaned on their stars to push a downhill offense. Mikko Rantanen and Sebastian Aho have set a top pace, while Miro Heiskanen and Esa Lindell hold a strong line behind them. When the stars are off the ice, Erik Haula, Joel Armia, and Artturi Lehkonen have kept the tempo going. They will have to beat the Slovaks with skill in what should be a closely-fought matchup.
Team Canada and Team USA will compete for Gold at 8 A.M. ET on Sunday morning. The Bronze medal game will take place at 2:40 P.M. ET on Saturday.
Photo courtesy of Geoff Burke-Imagn Images.
Finland’s Anton Lundell, Oliver Kapanen Miss Game Due To Illness
Team Finland managed an 11-0 win over Team Italy early on Saturday morning without one of their top centers. Florida panthers center Anton Lundell missed the heyday matchup due to illness per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. Lundell’s roomate in the Olympic villiage, center Oliver Kapanen, was also scratched. Kapanen was rostered but benched in Finland’s second game – a 4-1 win over rival Sweden. Lundell played nearly 19 minutes and scored one goal in that game, after going scoreless in the Olympic opener.
Finland kept Colorado Avalanche winger Joel Kiviranta and Ottawa Senators defender Nikolas Matinpalo in the lineup against Italy. Kiviranta scored on both shots he took in 11 minutes of ice time. Matinpalo recorded a plus-one and two shots in eight minutes, but didn’t make the scoresheet. He did score a goal in Finland’s win over Sweden – a surprise for a defender who only has one goal in 75 career NHL games.
Of note, Team Finland’s women’s team contracted noravrius – a common and contagious stomach virus – per ESPN. It was not made clear if this bug spread to Lundell. Finland will hope he can rebound quickly either way, as Lundell held down the team’s second-line center position before going down. He has scored 16 goals and 40 points in 54 games in the NHL. That is a 61-point scoring pace, which would shatter Lundell’s previous career-high of 45 points, set last season. His ramped up scoring has coinceded with a boost to Florida’s top-line where he is filling in for injured compatriot Aleksander Barkov.
Kapanen’s availability will be less certain. It was not clear if he was scratched as a precaution, or to continue his route out of the lineup after seeing no ice time in Finland’s last game. The NHL rookie has 18 goals and 31 points in 57 games with the Montreal Canadiens this season. He was a standout in both Finland’s Liiga and Sweden’s SHL before moving to North America. Kapanen scored 34 points in 51 games of the 2023-24 Liiga season and 35 points in 36 games of the 2024-25 SHL season. He will rotate onto the team’s fourth-line, and fill a shoot-first role, if he’s slotted back into the lineup.
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen To Miss Olympics
According to a team announcement, Buffalo Sabres netminder Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen will miss the Olympic Games due to his lower-body injury. In the same announcement, the Sabres shared that Joonas Korpisalo of the Boston Bruins will play for Team Finland and Luukkonen’s stead.
Obviously, even though it’s never a good time to sustain an injury, it really couldn’t come at a worse time for Luukkonen. He’s been fairly healthy since missing the first month of the 2025-26 season. Still, an injury report from a few days ago indicated that Luukkonen would miss the next week of action. It’s unclear if he’ll actually be injured through the Olympic break, or if he and the Sabres agreed it would be best for him to sit it out as a precaution.
Furthermore, it was likely the expectation that Luukkonen would be Finland’s starter for the upcoming international contest. He’s managed an 11-7-2 record across 20 starts with Buffalo this season, earning a .902 SV%, 2.73 GAA, and 3.3 Goals Saved Above Average. His fellow countrymen, Juuse Saros of the Nashville Predators and Kevin Lankinen of the Vancouver Canucks, haven’t come close to matching that production.
It would have also been his first international appearance as a professional netminder. Luukkonen was technically included on Team Finland’s roster for last year’s 4 Nations Face-Off, though he didn’t participate in any action. His last time representing Team Finland in a game came back during the 2018-19 IIHF World Junior Championship. He managed a 3-2-0 record in six games with a .932 SV%.
Meanwhile, Korpisalo was the best available of the remaining options. Despite being a backup netminder with the Bruins, he was the obvious choice over Ville Husso, Justus Annunen, or Leevi Merilainen. He’s managed a 10-8-1 record in 21 games with Boston this season with a .895 SV% and 3.12 GAA.
Like Luukkonen, Korpisalo hasn’t played for Team Finland in some time. His last showing was in the 2017 IIHF World Championships, where he collected two wins in six appearances with an .858 SV%. Finland lost the Bronze medal game to Russia.
Team Finland Announces 2026 Olympic Roster
Finland has become the second country to announce their Winter Olympic roster on Friday. The roster closely aligns with Finland’s lineup at the 2025 4 Nations tournament, with some notable additions from across the hockey world. The full roster is as follows:
Forwards
- C Sebastian Aho (Hurricanes)
- RW Joel Armia (Kings)
- C Mikael Granlund (Ducks)
- C Erik Haula (Predators)
- C Roope Hintz (Stars)
- RW Kaapo Kakko (Kraken)
- C Oliver Kapanen (Canadiens)
- LW Joel Kiviranta (Avalanche)
- LW Artturi Lehkonen (Avalanche)
- C Anton Lundell (Panthers)
- C Eetu Luostarinen (Panthers)
- RW Mikko Rantanen (Stars)
- LW Teuvo Teravainen (Blackhawks)
- RW Eeli Tolvanen (Kraken)
Defense
- LD Miro Heiskanen (Stars)
- RD Henri Jokiharju (Bruins)
- LD Mikko Lehtonen (ZSC Lions/NL)
- LD Esa Lindell (Stars)
- LD Olli Maatta (Mammoth)
- RD Nikolas Matinpalo (Senators)
- LD Niko Mikkola (Panthers)
- RD Rasmus Ristolainen (Flyers)
Goaltenders
- G Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen (Sabres)
- G Kevin Lankinen (Canucks)
- G Juuse Saros (Predators)
The biggest difference between Finland’s 4-Nations and Olympic rosters is the addition of star defenseman Heiskanen, who was unavailable for last year’s international tourney. He may be the country’s best representation on the NHL stage, offering top-level play on both sides of the puck. Heiskanen has 35 points in 41 NHL games this season and scored a career-high 73 points in 79 games in the 2022-23 campaign. He will be leaned on as a top player for the Finnish side, and could lead the team in average ice time.
Finland has also added Lehtonen and Canadiens rookie Kapanen – two interesting additions as the country looks to add a bit more bolt to their lineup. Lehtonen is a journeyman of international hockey. He has played in five top leagues and recently found a home with the Lions in Switzerland’s National League, where he won league championships in 2024 and 2025. He currently has 16 points in 32 games this season and offers downhill offense at the expense of robust defense. Centerman Kapanen has found a similar downhill drive in his first NHL season. He has 12 goals and 21 points in 40 games for Montreal, with no signs of slowing down. Kapanen was a revelation as a young player in Finland’s Liiga, where he totaled 65 points in 124 games and three seasons.
The Finns will return their 4 Nations roster otherwise, set to lean heavily on Aho, Rantanen, and Hintz as the explosive pieces of an otherwise fundamental offense. It was Granlund who led that team in scoring, though, with four points in three games – double the scoring of Finland’s top offensive pieces.
Second and third on the 4 Nations team in scoring were Patrik Laine (three points) and Aleksander Barkov (two points), who will both miss the Olympic Games due to injury. Barkov, one of the NHL’s premier two-way centers, had to undergo ACL and MCL surgery after a preseason injury. Laine is also on the mend after undergoing surgery in October.
With the slightly shorthanded roster and brave additions of an NHL rookie and Swiss-league defender, the Finns will step up as a team to watch this tournament. They don’t seem to offer the firepower of Sweden, the USA, or Canada, but could surprise with a significant defense addition supporting a goaltending room that struggled at the 4-Nations.
2026 NHL Draft Eligible Players At World Juniors
The World Junior Championships kicked off early on Friday. The tournament brings together the top U20 players from 10 countries around the world. Rosters typically contain a mix of NHL players, NHL prospects, undrafted players looking for a second chance, and future draftees hoping for a good first impression. Pro Hockey Rumors has compiled a list of all 75 players eligible for the 2026 NHL Draft competing in this year’s World Junior Championship tournament:
Team Canada
D Carson Carels
D Ethan MacKenzie
F Gavin McKenna
D Keaton Verhoeff
Team Czechia
D Vladimír Dravecký
F Adam Novotny
D Jakub Vanecek
Team Denmark
F Lasse Bærentsen
D Jesper Bank Olesen (re-entry candidate)
D Jeppe Bertram (re-entry candidate)
F Elias Borup Olsen (re-entry candidate)
F William Bundgaard (re-entry candidate)
F Lucas Cilan Hjorth Jensen
D Viggo Damgaard (re-entry candidate)
F Oliver Dejbjerg Larsen (re-entry candidate)
F Oliver Green
F Albert Grossmann (re-entry candidate)
D Emil Saaby Jakobsen
D Markus Jakobsen (re-entry candidate)
D Frederik Rundh (re-entry candidate)
F Martinus Uggerhøj Schioldan
Team Finland
F Onni Kalto (re-entry candidate)
F Jasper Kuhta (re-entry candidate)
D Juho Piiparinen
F Oliver Suvanto
D Arttu Välilä (re-entry candidate)
F Matias Vanhanen (re-entry candidate)
Team Germany
D Max Bleicher (re-entry candidate)
F Lenny Boos (re-entry candidate)
F Gustavs Griva (re-entry candidate)
D Fabio Kose (re-entry candidate)
F Timo Kose (re-entry candidate)
F Elias Schneider (re-entry candidate)
D Finn Serikow (re-entry candidate)
F Mateu Späth (re-entry candidate)
F Dustin Willhöft (re-entry candidate)
Team Latvia
F Rudolfs Berzkalns
F Dmitrijs Dilevka (re-entry candidate)
F Karlis Flugins
F Roberts Janis Polis
F Martins Klaucans
F Olivers Murnieks
D Rolands Naglis (re-entry candidate)
F Bruno Osmanis (re-entry candidate)
D Krisjanis Sarts (re-entry candidate)
F Daniels Serkins (re-entry candidate)
D Alberts Smits
F Kristians Utnans (re-entry candidate)
Team Sweden
F Viggo Björck
D William Håkansson
F Casper Juustovaara Karlsson
F Ivar Stenberg
Team Slovakia
D Michal Capos (re-entry candidate)
F Tomas Chrenko
F Jakub Dubravik (re-entry candidate)
D Adam Goljer
D Adam Kalman (re-entry candidate)
D Matus Lisy (re-entry candidate)
F Alex Misiak (re-entry candidate)
F Samuel Murin (re-entry candidate)
F Adam Nemec
F Tomas Pobezal (re-entry candidate)
D Luka Radivojevic (re-entry candidate)
F Andreas Straka (re-entry candidate)
F Tobias Tomik
F Lukas Tomka (re-entry candidate)
Team Switzerland
F Mike Aeschlimann (re-entry candidate)
F Lenny Giger (re-entry candidate)
F Cyrill Henry (re-entry candidate)
F Kimi Körbler (re-entry candidate)
D Nik Lehmann
F Paul Mottard (re-entry candidate)
F Lars Steiner
D Guus Van der Kaaij (re-entry candidate)
Team United States
D Chase Reid
D Dakoda Rhéaume-Mullen (re-entry candidate)
Finland Announces Roster For 2026 World Juniors
Finland has become the second-to-last country to announce their roster for the 2026 World Junior Championships. This news leaves Team Latvia as the only country yet to announce their tournament roster. Finland’s roster features 25 players, indicating that no cuts will be made from this group. Finland will be led by returnees Emil Hemming, Heikki Ruohonen, and Aron Kiviharju, who joined the country for a Silver Medal finish last year. The full roster is as follows:
F Emil Hemming (Stars, 2024, 1-29)
F Atte Joki (Stars, 2025, 5-146)
F Onni Kalto (2026 re-entry draft eligible)
F Aatos Koivu (Canadiens, 2024, 3-70)
F Jasper Kuhta (2026 draft eligible)
F Julius Miettinen (Kraken, 2024, 2-40)
F Kasper Pikkarainen (Devils, 2024, 3-85)
F Heikki Ruohonen (Flyers, 2024, 4-107)
F Joona Saarelainen (Lightning, 2024, 5-149)
F Oliver Suvanto (2026 draft eligible)
F Leo Tuuva (2026 re-entry draft eligible)
F Matias Vanhanen (2026 re-entry draft eligible)
F Roope Vesterinen (2026 re-entry draft eligible)
F Max Westergard (Flyers, 2025, 5-132)
D Lasse Boelius (Ducks, 2025, 2-60)
D Mitja Jokinen (2026 re-entry draft eligible)
D Aron Kiviharju (Wild, 2024, 4-122)
D Daniel Nieminen (Predators, 2025, 6-163)
D Niklas Nykyri (2026 re-entry draft eligible)
D Juho Piiparinen (2026 draft eligible)
D Veeti Vaisanen (Mammoth, 2024, 3-96)
D Arttu Vailila (2026 re-entry draft eligible)
G Patrik Kerkola (2026 draft eligible)
G Petteri Rimpinen (Kings, 2025, 5-152)
G Kim Saarinen (Kraken, 2024, 3-88)
The Finns will bring yet another formidable group to what’s shaping up to be a fantastic World Juniors tourney. Their offense and top powerplay units will be led by volume-shooter Hemming and playmaking-center Ruohonen, who both scored four points in seven games. They built out the team’s second-line, in rotation with Lightning prospect Benjamin Rautiainen and Sharks prospect Kasper Halttunen. Hemming has ramped up to above point-per-game scoring in the OHL this season, while Ruohonen has taken on the third-line center role as a freshman at Harvard University. That should be a nice boost for both forwards as they look to take on push forward Finland’s offense.
The duo of returning forwards will get a ton of help from Finland’s new additions. Aatos Koivu, son of 1,124 NHL game-veteran Saku Koivu, is in his second season of routine pro minutes. He brings a hot shot and quick playmaking, attributes that have helped him score eight points in 10 games with Finland’s international juniors roster already this season. Miettinen and Vanhanen have taken on star roles with the WHL’s Everett Silvertips, where their mix of chemistry, hard hits, and quick passing have overwhelmed junior competition. The side will also be supported by top draft eligible Suvanto – one of the youngest players in Finland’s Liiga, and the 2026 draft class. He has matched Koviu’s Liiga scoring this season, and is considered a top-25 prospect by many public scouts.
More important than their returning forwards will be Finland’s returning starter. Rimpinen played in the most games, and posted the second-highest save percentage, in last year’s tournament with five wins and a .933 Sv% in seven games. His performance was pivotal to Finland’s tournament success and quickly earned him attention from NHL scouts. Rimpinen went on to win the Liiga’s ‘Rookie of the Year’ award at the end of the 2024-25 season. He has cooled slightly after posting a .912 Sv% in 40 games last year, now down to an .894 Sv% in 23 games this year. But that shouldn’t keep Rimpinen from fortifying Finland’s net at the World Juniors. Saarinen, who has 48 games of Liiga experience, will serve as backup.
The question marks around this lineup will be concentrated around the defense. No one defender brings a full-ice impact, leaving Finland to take a bit of a committee approach. Kiviharju and Boelius will dominate puck-movement for the top defender pairs and power-play units, while Nykyri, Piiparinen, and Vaisanen bring a physical and shutdown presence. The rest of the bunch will fall somewhere in between, looking to help control the neutral zone for a Finnish squad that isn’t expected to dominate transition. Piiiparinen will be a particular name to watch. He is another top prospect in the 2026 draft, with commendable shutdown qualities and a quick jump. He’s been graded as a first-round talent by many public scouts.
This lineup notably exlcudes Buffalo Sabres top prospect Konsta Helenius, who is no longer expected to be loaned out for the tournament despite previous reports. Helenius ranked second on the team in scoring at last year’s tournament with six points – all assits – in seven games. He would be a serious addition to the lineup should Rochester have a change of heart. That seems unlikely, though, as Helenius has racked up a team-leading 23 points in 25 AHL games this season while serving as the team’s top center. Should he be added late, it would likely be Tuuva or Kuhta cut to make space.
Photo courtesy of Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images.
Big Hype Prospects: DuPont, Verhoeff, Vanhatalo, Rogowski
The 2025-26 season will kickoff on Monday for hockey’s scouting world, as many of the top U18 prospects from around the world join in Brno, Czechia and Trenčín, Slovakia for the 2025 Hlinka Gretzky Cup. The tournament is one of the top non-IIHF sanctioned events of the hockey season, and features talents from eight different countries — this year from USA, Canada, Czechia, Slovakia, Sweden, Finland, Germany, and Switzerland. It’s often the first chance for top draft picks to show their strength among an increasingly competitive group of peers. That makes now the perfect time to again borrow from MLB Trade Rumors’ Big Hype Prospect series to break down some of the top names to watch when pucks drop this week.
Four Big Hype Prospects
Landon DuPont, RD, Team Canada (Everett Silvertips, WHL)
2024-25 Season: 64 GP, 17 G, 43 A, 60 TP, 26 PIM, +31
There is little question about who the top prospect at this year’s Hlinka tournament will be – and, ironically, it’s not a player eligible for the draft in 2026. Instead it’s 16-year-old Landon DuPont, a true star talent coming off the highest-scoring season from a U16 defender in CHL history — by more than 20 points. DuPont is cut from a different cloth in many ways. He’s fantastically smooth on the puck and uses clean, long, and quick strides to cut through all three zones and create layup scoring chances. His vision is sharp and he’s firm on every decision, creating a player truly capable of taking over games on his own. DuPont has a special drive to succeed that should be put on full display as he gets his first opportunity to represent his country overseas. It would be no surprise to see DuPont – the son of European hockey veteran Micki DuPont – race towards the top of the Hlinka leaderboards and soon the top of the 2027 NHL Draft class.
Keaton Verhoeff, RD, Team Canada (University of North Dakota, NCHC)
2024-25 Season (Victoria, WHL): 63 GP, 21 G, 24 A, 45 TP, 14 PIM, +23
It is a rare and lucky moment when a head coach gets to call Keaton Verhoeff their second defender. He brings every bit of the star-power that Canada has become known for at this tournament. Verhoeff is a towering, beefy defender standing at 6-foot-4 and 212-pounds — and yet, he’s another incredibly smooth puck-handler, with a special instinct for how and when to dip into the offensive zone. He plays a game that thrives on gut calls, but lives on fundamentals – and shows as much talent in defending the rush or blocking out the slot as he does in making flashy, high-speed cuts to the offensive net. Team Canada has already named Verhoeff their captain for this tournament – and among the top questions for the week ahead will be how they wield his physical upside next to DuPont’s snappy creativity. Verhoeff is entering the season as a top-two name in the 2026 draft class. He’ll get his first chance to fortify that standing at this tournament, before heading to the NCAA alongside Victoria teammate and Calgary Flames prospect Cole Reschny for the 2025-26 season.
Vilho Vanhatalo, RW, Team Finland (Tappara, Finland U20)
2024-25 Season (Tappara, Finland U18): 41 GP, 37 G, 21 A, 58 TP, 38 PIM
Prospect chatter surrounding Finland has quieted in recent years, but their 2008 birth year seems well equipped to pull the country back into the spotlight. They’re a heavy-hitting group that features players like Oscar Hemming, Eelis Uronen, adn Anttoni Uronen – all the younger brothers of NHL prospects (Emil Hemming, Dallas; Tomas Uronen, Vegas). But the group is headlined by beefy goal-scorer Vilho Vanhatalo, a ground-and-pound shooter with multiple ways to best his opponents. Vanhatalo is strong with a huge frame – 6-foot-4 and 200-pounds – and an athletic stance. He’s also quick to make decisions and jump to the next play – making him hard to contain in the offensive end. He squares up to passes quickly, and has a true heft behind his shot. That’s helped Vanhatalo reach fantastic goal-scoring heights already, including leading Finland’s top U18 in the stat last season. He also scored a team-leading three points in four games for Finland at the World U-17 Hockey Championship, and continued to lead the country’s U17 squad with 14 points in 17 games in other international tournaments. Where goals need scored, Vanhatalo finds his way – making him an interesting second-tier name for this tournament and the 2026 draft.
Brooks Rogowski, C/RW, Team USA (Oshawa Generals, OHL)
2024-25 Season: 66 GP, 11 G, 12 A, 23 TP, 9 PIM, -3
Brooks Rogowski may not be the true top name on Team USA’s lineup, but he’ll certainly be the hardest to miss. Literally. The 17-year-old stands at 6-foot-6 and 227-pounds, and seems well positioned to take on top-six minutes for an American squad looking for players to step up. Rogowski was relatively unrefined through much of his rookie OHL season last year, but has earned the close attention of scouts – and even a commitment to Michigan State University – since the season has come to a close. That’s largely thanks to a training regiment focused in on making him smoother and quicker driving down the ice, and consequentially strong performances at the USA U17-Selects tournament and Hlinka Gretzky Cup invite camp. Rogowski will play second-string to USA’s stars – like hard-nosed center and 2027 draft prospect Shaeffer Gordon-Carroll and flashy speedster and 2026 prospect Jack Hextall. But when it comes to playing a physically-imposing game geared towards driving the net, head coach Bob Motzko will find all he needs in Rogowski. This tournament will mark the giant’s first chance to rocket up his draft stock.