#liiga check up

[puckpocketed]

new babygirl unlocked!! and he has HAIR!!!!!!

[ID: Photo of Los Angeles Kings prospect Aatu Jämsen in his Pelicans uniform. His hair is backlit to almost seem white, and streams out from under his helmet. /. End ID]

oh my GOD!!! new babygirl indeed... its giving barbie its giving goldilocks its giving hair on a my little pony toy... !

Quick notes on Aatu Jämsen. i am quite endeared. he is exactly my type of hockey guy <3

Plays RW! Drafted 2020, round 7, 190th overall. Before signing with the Kings, was playing for the Lahti Pelicans. Bit of a late bloomer, but he's tearing it up lately!! Probably why he got the nod from LA.

Per EP Rinkside, "Players with Jämsen's creativity are a rarity in Liiga. In a league where systems and team-wide strategy are at the forefront, Jämsen stands out with his puck skills and a flair for the dramatic. He's a legitimate dual-threat weapon in the offensive zone, and has also made some slight improvements to his physical game; a necessity if he wants to try to conquer North America next season."

So he's known for being very flashy. Quick, soft hands. Creative. Highlight reel stuff. GOATED on the shootout, apparently always trying crazy dangles in game... I'm SURE this type of prospect will be fine in the LA Kings system (<- lying but hopeful!! aslkdaskjl)

Here he is bullying the shit out of NHL24 champ/youtuber/ex-goalie Eki in the shootout. he yells "KUCHEROV" in triumph at one point after scoring on this guy who (checks notes) laced up skates to play goalie 2 times in the last 4 years - and i think that's so fucking lame and deeply charming.

and I am not surprised at all; he is VERY popular in the Finnish league.

Last month he got into a fight with Tampereen Tappara's Otto Rauhala. VERY unexpected, he's not a fighter at all. Rough google translate from this article, cleaned up a little by me:

Interviewer: What happened there? Jämsen: I don't know. Interviewer: So would you say Rauhala started it? Jämsen: You could say. I didn't appreciate his check in the first period of the game. Nothing more than that."

This is whole exchange is SO funny to me. what happened? he doesn't know. but if he had to say? then that guy fucking started it!!! but that's all <3 LMAO

HE MOONLIGHTS AS A RAP MUSICIAN. HELLO. His stage name is KIDJAM$EN kjlasdkljadlak HELP..,, here is one of his songs set to a short looping montage of Pelicans hockey players.. i think its a playoffs hype song??? I cannot understand a word of it. it DOES bang though!!! He plans to pursue music as a career if hockey doesn't work out. jumping from one risky career to another with no fear honestly go off!!! faith trust and pixie dust <3

everything about him i can dig up is like He's SOO flashy. eccentric. strange creachture. He bleaches his hair to get it that light. he did it to imitate Otto Salin, per this article. The picture is worth a thousand words tbh:

the fucking. LV sweater. the sunglasses. the coy look up at the camera. okay!!! cunt !!! <3

In the same article: he got very serious about nutrition and exercise last season after coming back from a break and getting BLASTED by his coaches for being out of shape. from the sounds of it, this dressing-down triggered his current meteoric rise? He was nawwwt taking his conditioning seriously before this. Since then, he's gained weight and become stronger, and has dedicated himself fully to going pro!

same article again: he's the scion of a hockey family - and god isnt that always the story?? His dad played for the Pelicans. his brothers Juuso and Vili also play hockey. The three have distinct play styles like a cute little set <3 Juuso the goal scorer, Aatu the playmaker, and Vili the GOON!!!

ough MIDDLE CHILD ALERT!!! it all makes SO much sense now....

Due to his flashiness on-ice AND off-ice, he naturally is a lightning rod for criticism. ice hockey is notoriously conservative as a culture and everything about him goes against this. Jams... Jammie... Jammer... idk what to call you BUT. your swag too different your slay too cunty, they're trying to kill you but you wont let them!!!!!

it seems instead of pivoting and making himself more palatable, he's only doubled down. i love and support him for this. if anyone has been on my blog they know i enjoy my guys with big personalities just as much as i love the quiet/underrated ones.

in conclusion, WELCOME TO LA. YOU ARE PERFECT FOR THIS TOWN, GORGEOUS <3

[toffoliravioli]

Hi for the European new fan in your inbox, I am in Europe as well and I do not know where the person is from, but there are some possibilities depending on where you live. You can watch on like illegal streaming sites [but you can watch back NHL games on those as well, you can find options with a quick Google search] But there are some fun leagues that you can watch legally live.

The Liiga is a very good league. It is in Finland. and quite a few NHL prospects [and even guys that retire and still want to play] play there. They stream there games and you can watch on-demand but unfortunately only if you have a Finnish bank account. I do not have much experience with this as I have only watched it while I was on holiday in Finland and I watched it TV there, but it's very fun. Though only Finnish commentary

I personally watch the DEL which is the German league. The league has every game televised and you can go back and watch them on demand on their official streaming partner. They have it on Magenta Sport. Maybe not quite NHL caliber, but I personally enjoy watching this quite a bit. I also like seeing the sport grow in Germany. There are some good NHL prospects there right now. Again only German commentary.

You also have the SHL which is the Swedish league, lots of Swedish players come up through here. I like it quite a bit as well, though I only watched it while I lived in Sweden for a bit. They have announced that they are going to do a partnership with ESPN+ to have the games (I haven't seen if this has been implemented yet but maybe next season?) They used to have it on a British network called ViaPlay but as of recently it's not there anymore.

There are some more leagues like the KHL [which is Russian and kinda corrupt so I tend to stay way from that], you have the National League (NL) in Switzerland which is becoming pretty popular and the Czech Extraliga. But I have no experience with these, but you can try and check them out.

Hope this was helpful!

This is super helpful ty fellow nonnie!!

A lot of good players come out of these leagues it’s definitely something to check out, old fan or new

[liigainenglish]

QUICK CHECK-UP: KÄRPÄT

2019-20 SEASON: 1ST PLACE

All I do is win, said the 7-time Liiga champion Oulun Kärpät as they once again took the first place in the regular season. The team was excellent on its penalty kill, holding onto 100% pk for the first nine games of the season. The power play on the other hand was a huge issue for the team throughout the season, even with former NHLer Jussi Jokinen basically running the units alongside their coach Mikko Manner. Or maybe that was the problem...

2020-21 SEASON

Will the power play still suck or is there finally a winning recipe in place? Despite acquiring one of Liiga’s best defenseman, Libor Sulak, the team seems to have lost more strength in the blueline than gained it, due replacing most of the losses with a bunch of Liiga rookies. Jesse Puljujärvi has been on fire in the pre-season so everyone’s expecting him to continue his hot streak into the regular season. Also keep an eye out for Aatu Räty, who’s expected to go #1 overall in the 2021 NHL draft.

ROSTER MOVES

LOANS

Janne Kuokkanen (New Jersey Devils, NHL option)

Justus Annunen (Colorado Avalanche)

CONTRACT EXTENSIONS

Jesse Puljujärvi (NHL option)

Samu Tuomaala

PLAYERS JOINING

Cody Kunyk (<- HPK)

Libor Sulak (<- KooKoo)

Aleksi Mustonen (<- Färjestad, SHL)

Ville Ottavainen (<- Kitchener Rangers, OHL)

Kalle Loponen (<- Sudbury Wolves, OHL)

Kasper Puutio (<- Everett Silvertips, WHL)

PLAYERS LEAVING

Miska Humaloja (-> KalPa)

Aleksi Mäkelä (-> Sport)

Olli Vanttaja (-> Sport)

Jakub Krejcik (-> Jokerit, KHL)

Julius Junttila (-> Jokerit, KHL)

Juho Lammikko (-> Metallurg, KHL)

Juhamatti Aaltonen (-> ?)

Sami Anttila (-> ?)

Janne Pesonen (-> ?)

RETIRED

Lasse Kukkonen (will return for one game)

[seventhrounder]

I went thru my folder with old hockey magazines I had saved from around 2011 to 2015 and came across this one and thought it could be a fun to make a post about now in hindsight.

This is Jääkiekko magazine from May 2012, they always have a section of "99 questions with ..." and in this issue they interviewed Teräväinen.

I’ve translated the questions I found interesting under the cut! It ended up being about half of the interview. (*) are my additions.

On the cover "seuraava superjokeri" means the next super joker, he played for Helsingin Jokerit so it's a word play from that. Under, on the blue print it says: "The 17-year-old forward will become a first round draft pick in the summer. The natural goal scorer can dominate in SM-Liiga as soon as next season."

In the 2nd photo the headline and lead paragraph goes:

"A post with dents* - A year ago Teuvo Teräväinen was known only within a small number of hockey insiders. Few passers-by recognize him now either but after a flashy rookie season the Jokerit sensation is on the radar of every NHL team and is a strong contender to become a first round draft pick. Next season with Jokerit the talented second line center will be one of the main talking points in the SM-Liiga."

(*references the net Teräväinen had in his backyard and into which he practiced his shooting)

3. You've been described as a magician, top scorer, wunderkind and a prodigy. What do you think of these descriptions?

TT: Heh, those are some descriptions yeah. What can I really say? Don't really wanna comment on them much.

4. How nervous are you about the Draft?

TT: I try not to be nervous as best as I can. In a way I don't have anything to be nervous about since I don't care which team picks me or at what number I go.

6. Which is stressing you more, English interviews or physical tests?

TT: Maybe both. Bench press (laughs) and English interviews can be tough.

12. How far along have you planned your career with, for example, your parents or your agent?

TT: Haven't really planned things with others but I've thought about them myself. I try to go step by step and not jump too far ahead.

14. How does it feel to be so young with all the star players in Jokerit?

TT: How to say it? I haven't felt like I was young but a part of the team instead. The team's been very good with me and they haven't been looking down at me like: "oh he's young". It's been fun to play in an experienced team.

15. Is there a generational gap between players?

TT: You can see the age difference, older players look older but we're all childish, at least with our topics.

17. What does a 17-year-old do in the sauna nights of the team?

TT: I actually haven't been in any yet. I've always been at national team's camps or something.

19. Did you get the number you wanted?

TT: I did, yeah. I could've taken #18 but Semir (Ben-Amor) has it. But i'm happy with #86, it's good.

23. What are your strengths as a player?

TT: Offensive play and with that playing with the puck, passing, IQ, power play and skill, just the usual skill - skill with hands.

24. And weaknesses?

TT: They are to do with defensive play, strength and physicality. Battles and such but I think I took a step forward last season. That's a good thing.

25. Have you ever been "pressed into a mold" or has your playing style gotten to develop naturally?

TT: As a kid the play was mostly offensive/attacking, I didn't have to think about playing defence. Up until 15 years old, I got to attack pretty freely. Playing defence became more important when I started to play in A-juniors a couple seasons ago.

26. On a scale from 1 to 10 how determined are you?

TT: Maybe 8, feels like an 8.

32. What kind of role are you planning to take with Jokerit next season?

TT: I think a pretty big one. I try to be a top player and not just take others' example but give others example myself too. So that someone in the team can take something out of the way I do things on the ice and off the ice.

35. If you could pick anyone, who would be your car driver?

TT: Nico Manelius for sure. He's been my driver this season. I've had others too, like Riku Hahl but he's not nearly at the same level. Nico’s clearly the best.

36. What are the most important qualifications to be a good driver?

TT: The car is obviously important. Hahl's car is totally awful, he takes a lot of heat for it from the guys too. I wouldn't dare driving with him. Manelius is a steady performer, never lets you down.

38. What sports did you play as a 10-year-old?

TT: Hockey and floorball, probably football (soccer) during the summers at the time too.

42. When did you decide to focus only on hockey?

TT: So when I stopped playing other sports? Three years ago, before that floorball was kind of a side thing, I played a couple of games in the regular season and playoffs.

45. Do you follow floorball or other sports? Go to games?

TT: I don't go to games but I like to watch floorball on TV, it's an interesting sport. Sometimes I watch football too but I don't follow it much. Feels like they never score there.

47. Have you ever played with a wooden stick?

TT: As a kid I did play with a wooden stick.

49. You won the hockey players' golf tournament last summer even though there were more experienced players too. Are you good with all stick games?

TT: Well, I've been pretty good in all of them. I've played golf for a long time and still play it.

50. How is your swing?

TT: Pretty bold, kind of a hockey swing. I don't really care where the ball goes - as long as it goes far.

52. What do you think of off-ice training?

TT: Let's just say it's more stupid than being on the ice but you still gotta do it to be better on the ice.

56. Which word describes your professional relationship (with his coach, Tomek Valtonen), tranquil or colorful?

TT: Colorful of course. At times we're joking around, other times it's more serious but the relationship is really good.

57. Coaching you has been described in many words: good, bad, worse. What are they?

TT: Heh, well... I won't tell them here. He (Tomek) keeps the discipline during practices but sometimes when things haven't gone to a plan I've had to jump on an exercise bike in the middle of a practice.

58. What have been the reasons?

TT: I'll quote Tomek: "when I haven't been present".

59. Have you ever tried to turn the resistance of the bike to zero?

TT: (Laughs) Of course I have and sometimes I've even succeeded.

60. Describe your diet in three words?

TT: Greasy, healthy and good!

64. Your first name is not common for people your age. How did your parents come up with it?

TT: I actually don't even know. Maybe they didn't want a usual Ville*....

(*very common name for men of all ages in Finland)

66. Which of these is the most important: skill, unexpectedness or courage?

TT: Skill!

68. Your longest video game stint?

TT: Six hours, at least. I've played a lot of War of Duty lately.

72. The dumbest thing that has made you upset in hockey?

TT: Probably if I didn't get an assist on a goal even though I should have. Or even worse is if I score and they mark it down for someone else.

79. Have you had any concussions?

TT: I haven't had any, I've managed to always dodge them.*

(*ouch, tho it's good the recent one is his only as far as i remember)

84. In 2011 Team Finland finished in the 5th place at the U-18 tournament. Why only as 5th?

TT: Because we lost to Team Russia in the quarter final, just as well we could have won that game too.

89. You didn't get to be on the ice to accept the SM-Liiga bronze medal (because of the U-18's). When and where did you get it?

TT: I actually still haven't received it, I don't know where it is.

93. What is the population of Helsinki?

TT: There's like 5 million people in Finland so maybe around 500k in Helsinki? (to be exact 596k) Did i really get it right...?

94. Who's the mayor of Helsinki?

TT: I don't know, I barely know the president.

95. Do you think the municipalities in the capital city area should merge?

TT: Luckily I don't have to decide but they probably shouldn't.

96. What do you check first in the news paper?

TT: The sports section.

97. Your favorite tv show?

TT: Putous* was pretty good, I liked a lot of the characters. The grandma was pretty good.

(*Finnish live improvisation comedy/sketch show (there are still new seasons, the latest just finished). Every actor comes up with a humor character with a catchy phrase and one of them wins. "The grandma" is Marja Tyrni and I just got such flashbacks from typing this sentence.)

98. Last book you read?

TT: I don't read many books. The last book was a study book, a Finnish book. I wrote an essay on Tiki (Esa) Tikkanen's biography. An eventful book, great career and a lot of chirps.

99. Who should we ask the 99 questions next?

TT: Riku Hahl could have good stories, he's also seen a lot of the world.

[maybe-seggy-will-be-our-always]

can you recommend a substitute league? end the nhl suffering

Okay so I think I'm not competent enough to answer this question really. The only thing I can say is that I've been having way too much fun with DEL this season (it was a bit of an up and down before the season started since it was postponed two times this and that). I watched maybe 2 Liiga games, which was super fun but you know, life... ^^

Maybe @hockey-related @liigainenglish or @kirillkaprisun can pitch in or know some people who know more!

For extra hockey I'd highly recommend getting into worlds!! Team doesn't matter (check out my boys tho hehe)!

Also if you need links, dm me or so :)

[juhollamago]

Trying to piece together the main points from acts by Liiga’s player safety in the past year to showcase that consistency in suspensions works.

1. Had so many hits on head in 2019-20 season where the suspensions varied from 1-9 games. While pretty much 99% of the hits on heads did get suspended, the differences between suspension lengths varied per each hit making fans question what was the basis.

2. The league then ended up introducing a 5 game automatic suspension for each game misconduct that was because of a hit on head.

3. Didn’t exactly reduce the number of hits on head over the season, and mainly because players while whining about how they are not allowed to play hard. But it still showed purpose of eliminating hits on heads from the league by actually penalizing players every time.

4. Also noticed its flaws when one player was penalized for hit on head game misconduct during game but video review showed it to be shoulder contact. The said player’s automatic suspension was cancelled and 1 game suspension put in its place.

5. Due to that case, for the 2020-21 season, the 5 game automatic suspension rule was modified to no longer being automatic, but each 5+20 penalty would be reviewed by player safety. As well as those missed calls that the main video referee would send for review after games. (Note: this includes any game misconduct, not just the hits on head.)

6. Currently the suspension length takes into consideration the situation the players were in and the use of force. If I checked correctly, so far we’ve only had one suspension for hit on the head this season and it was worth of 2 games despite injuring a player. (Another suspension should be taking place this weekend though because of 5+20 game misconduct in the TPS-Jukurit game.)

7. The 5 game suspension still exists in cases where the hit is deemed very clear attack on the head and is done intentionally. Additional games can be added for repeat offenders.

8. Because of clear policies on the suspensions, the hits on head have visibly reduced as showcased by the lack of them. (The total tally for hits on head suspensions in the 2019-2020 season 22. TWENTY-TWO!)

[burkymakar]

justus seems like he has a nice personality! there was a video of him mic'd up last season at practice and he was actually quite funny. he also broke the liiga record for the longest shutout streak with a bit over 300mins last season and he had the best s% and gaa last season in liiga. (i also love the dialect/accent he has when speaking finnish)

i’m gonna have to check out those videos!!! i love goalies and from the video steve dangle mentioned him in, he’s worth looking into!

[i-like-yoongi-a-latte]

also thoughts on the playoffs (concept, bubble, who's gonna win 😎)!

After thinking this for a while I finally have an answer! Not sure if it’s understandable at all but here we go. This is going to be long, so I'll put it under the cut so that it won't take half a dash 😂

Send me ‘thoughts on ___’

Thoughts on the playoffs... Phew. First feeling: kind of dull, somehow boring?? Like I'm usually pretty excited of hockey games and playoffs, but considering the situation with this virus I've been having mixed feelings. In the beginning of all this and even now I think that they should have canceled the season and then start a new one in time. But I also understand that this is their (players) job and when the employer tells you to work, you have to do it... But it's not my job to make the choices so... Also the reason why I'm like this could be because my teams are out atm, but if I'm being honest, I didn't have that spark during these playoffs that I had last year.

The bubble thing sounded crazy at first, but it seems to be working? All the people that work for keeping the bubbles safe deserve the praise, the playoffs would not be happening if those workers didn't work hard. But again, they're at risk so they need to be noticed. They work so that hockey can be on, even though hockey isn't a necessity. And the players, oh dear. When you’re separated from your family for who-knows-how-long, it sure can make you feel down. Their mental health should be taken seriously, because that kind of isolation isn’t normal, and if it just keeps going, the players could get lost inside their heads, you know what I mean? Being there alone, even if you’re with your best friends there you can still feel lonely, or like you can’t get a moment alone, or feeling too lonely etc. Luckily they have their phones to keep in contact with their families and friends! So, the bubble thing worked for now, but if they plan on playing in bubbles during the next season, I don’t know how that would work...

And!! Now that there have been cases in the Liiga teams and the NHL players are coming here to play before the NHL season starts, what if they get the virus? What will they do then? Liiga season is starting soon, but if the cases keep coming, should it be postponed? This is just my random thought and I haven't thought about it for longer, it just came to my mind right now. Or like we chatted briefly about the possible Liiga bubbles in our group chat. Would that be possible? Would the teams have enough resources to have bubbles? How would the games go? And if the season gets postponed, what will the NHL players do? So many questions, not so many answers, eh? (I like to throw questions around, see?)

I still don't know what the round robin was and how it worked and at this point there's no need to know anymore 😂

Okay so next up thoughts about the possible winner... We have TBL-NYI and VGK-DAL... I wish that the Stars advance because of the Finns (ahem biased ahem) BUT I have a feeling that the final will be between Tampa and Vegas (prove me wrong Dallas, I'm rooting for you!). My brackets are in the trash though so my guess can be totally wrong! This year is full of surprises so I think I won't be really surprised of the outcome. So to say, I hope that the Stars win but I think they won't, and if the final is between Tampa and Vegas I don't really know who I wish to win. Somehow Vegas and somehow Tampa, I don't know 😂

These are my messy thoughts on the playoffs (and other things) right now, I might look into these later and do some fact-checking for my own enjoyment tho 😂

[carolinahurricanes]

Weekly Weather Report  12/2/19 - 12/9/19

Weekly updates on the Carolina Hurricane’s news, progress and systems!

Previous Games: 

CAR @ BOS (L 0-2) | SJS @ CAR (W 3-2) | MIN @ CAR (W 6-2)

News: 

Nečas is expected to return to the lineup tonight against EDM 

Haula is nearing a return, but will not travel with the team on the 5 game road trip.

Highlights

MIN @ CAR - Aho’s hat trick!

Standings:

Division (↓1)

Conference (↓1)

League (↓2)

Point Leaders:

League Leaders:

Sebastian Aho is currently “10th” for most goals

Hamilton & Slavin are still “8th & 9th” for best (+/-)

Mrazek moves up to “7th” in wins

Team Leaders:

Checking In With The Checkers:

Bishop & Gibbons were reassigned to the Checkers.

Julien Gauthier (who currently leads the Checkers in goals with 10) has been recalled by the Hurricanes for a second time this season.

Previous Games: CHA @ SYR (W 5-1) | CHA @ ROC (L 0-4) | CHA @ ROC (W 4-1) 

Despite being shut out by Rochester on Friday night, the team took an incredible win to snap Rochester’s 12 game point streak on Saturday.

Jake Bean continues to be on fire. He is now first on the team for points with 14 (4g, 10a) in only 22 games played. 

The Checkers’ Record is now (10-11-3) placing them 7th in the division, 14th in the conference, and 23rd in the league.

They continue to have the best PK in the league at 92.7%, and 8th best PP at 20.4%.

Steven Lorentz was awarded the “Sharpshooter Of The Month” award for November.

Roland McKeown was awarded “Defenseman Of The Month” for November.

Upcoming Checkers’ Games: Friday, December 13th, SYR @ CHA 7:05pm | Saturday, December 14th, SYR @ CHA 7:05pm

In The System:

World Junior Championship 2020 Attendees: 

Jack Drury (C) - Harvard Univ. (NCAA) - USA

Dominik Bokk (W) - Rögle BK (SHL) - Germany

Anttoni Honka (D) - JYP (Liiga) - Finland

Lenni Killinen (W) - Ässät (Liiga) - Finland

Patrik Puistola (W) - Jukurit (Liiga) - Finland (Depending on the severity of his injury)

Upcoming Games:

CAR @ EDM - Tuesday, December 10th

CAR @ VAN - Thursday, December 12th

CAR @ CGY - Saturday, December 14th

Don’t forget to vote for All Star Game captains!

[actutrends]

2019 NHL Mock Draft: Could Hughes or Kakko save the Red Wings?

VICTORIA, BC – JANUARY 2: Jack Hughes # 6 of the United States skates throughout a quarter-final video game against the Czech Republic at the IIHF World Junior Championships at the Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre on January 2, 2019 in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. (Photo by Kevin Light/Getty Images)

Could Jack Hughes or Kaapo Kakko end up on the Detroit Red Wings? And if so, does either player have the prospective to move the momentum of the franchise? Let’s explore what a March 5 NHL Mock Draft would look like.

As we get in into the home stretch of the 2018-19 NHL campaign, the line between pretender and contender grows progressively obvious.

With playoff matchups all but determined in the Atlantic, the attention of lots of has moved towards hockey’s other three divisions.

And while numerous playoff positions in the Western Conference will likely stay up for grabs up until the bitter end of the present season, it’s reasonable to conclude that various groups are currently expecting the next phases of their particular rebuilding processes.

As it stands, the Colorado Avalanche remain in a prime spot to land the most seriously acclaimed prospect available in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft– 17- year-old center Jack Hughes.

They hold the Ottawa Senators’ first-round choice in what has the potential to be kept in mind as the most head-scratching aspect of the notorious Matt Duchene offer.

Yet equally wanted– however sometimes overlooked– is another elite player in Kaapo Kakko of HC TPS (Finnish Liiga). Frequently compared to none besides the Winnipeg Jets’ Patrik Laine, the 18- year-old winger assures to raise the level of competitors of whichever organization he joins.

And if the structural dynamic of the league continues to take its current kind, it promises that a person of the abovementioned prospects will end up in Hockeytown– therefore translating the aspirational hopes of fans into a reality, undoubtedly.

Our March 5 mock draft is as follows.

Colorado Avalanche— Jack Hughes (C)

Detroit Red Wings— Kaapo Kakko (RW)

Los Angeles Kings— Kirby Dach (C)

New Jersey Devils— Dylan Cozens (C)

Anaheim Ducks— Peyton Krebs (C)

Vancouver Canucks— Matthew Boldy (LW)

Chicago Blackhawks— Trevor Zegras (C)

Edmonton Oilers— Bowen Byram (D)

New York City Rangers— Vasily Podkolzin (C)

Florida Panthers— Philip Broberg (D)

Colorado Avalanche— Alex Newhook (C)

Buffalo Sabres— Alex Turcotte (C)

Arizona Coyotes— Victor Soderstrom (D)

Minnesota Wild— Cole Caufield (RW)

Dallas Stars— Web Cam York (D)

Philadelphia Flyers— Thomas Harley (D)

Buffalo Sabres— Arthur Kaliyev (RW)

Ottawa Senators— Moritz Seider (D)

Vegas Golden Knights— Ryan Suzuki (C)

Montréal Canadiens— Raphael Lavoie (C/RW)

Pittsburgh Penguins— Bobby Verge (C/RW)

Carolina Hurricanes— Connor McMichael (C)

Nashville Predators— Nils Hoglander (LW)

New York City Islanders— Jakob Pelletier (LW)

New York Rangers— Anttoni Honka (D)

Washington Capitals— Nicholas Robertson (C/LW)

Los Angeles Kings— Matthew Robertson (D)

Anaheim Ducks— Ville Heinola (D)

Boston Bruins— Egor Afanasyev (LW)

Calgary Flames— Spencer Knight (G)

New York Rangers— Brett Leason (C)

News and notes:

No. 1– As per a three-team deal, the Colorado Avalanche are set to receive the Ottawa Senators’ first-round choice.

No. 17– The Buffalo Sabres will get the St. Louis Blues’ first-round selection. The Sabres shipped Ryan O’Reilly to the Blues for 3 forwards and two draft picks.

No. 18– The Ottawa Senators will get the Columbus Blue Jackets’ first-round choice as part of the offer that sent center Matt Duchene to Ohio.

No. 25– The New york city Rangers will obtain the Winnipeg Jets’ 2019 first-round selection as part of the Kevin Hayes trade.

No. 27– The Los Angeles Kings shall receive the Toronto Maple Leafs’ first-rounder as part of the Jake Muzzin deal.

No. 28– The Anaheim Ducks are set to get a first-rounder from the Buffalo Sabres as part of the Brandon Montour trade.

No. 31– The New york city Rangers will acquire a conditional first-round choice from the Tampa Bay Lightning if the latter win the 2019 Stanley Cup (and a second-round pick if they do not). Given that the Lightning currently hold the most points in the NHL, the draft order has tentatively considered them Stanley Cup champs.

The 57 th NHL Entry Draft will take location in Vancouver on June 21 and22 Be sure to check back for more updates.

.

The post 2019 NHL Mock Draft: Could Hughes or Kakko save the Red Wings? appeared first on Actu Trends.

[axiomsofice]

Metropolitan Division Predictions: 19/20

Washinton It seems that every year the Capitals cruise to 100 points, and this year should be no different. I would go as far as to call Washington a prototypical contender, checking all the boxes. Starting in net with Brayden Holtby, who is definitely not coming off of his best season, but is nevertheless a full fledged starter of quality. His presence and experience affords the luxury of deploying a younger backup, and Phoenix Copley is poised to continue growing off of last year. Copley will have some competition too, as top prospect Ilya Samsonov finished his first year in the AHL, and his most starts as a professional. The defence has a few personnel changes from last year, and possess both a depth and diversity of talent. Gudas may be an upgrade over Niskanen straight up, but to acquire him with salary retention was shrewd and congruent to the Capitals overall roster philosophies. Carlson, Orlov, and Kempny return as stalwarts in a group that might be buoyed by the development of a personal favourite, Jonas Siegenthaler. Up front the theme of minor tweaks continue as Washington will try to replace the departed Burakovsky and Connolly, and being that those roles are on the third line, it’s reasonable to assume that those holes will be more than adequately filled by the incoming group of Hagelin, Panik, and Liepsic. Pittsburgh Another mainstay atop the Metro is Pittsburgh, and ultimately there’s not much separation between the Penguins and the Capitals. Perhaps the biggest reason I have the Penguins behind that Capitals is the ability to keep the puck out of their own net. Although that’s not really a slight on Murray, DeSmith, and Jarry, a capable 1-3, it’s hard to say that this group of goaltenders is superior to Washington’s. On defence Pittsburgh employs two analytics whipping boys in Johnson and Gudbranson, who should compromise the team’s third pair. The continued emergence of Marcus Pettersson is the biggest reason to be optimistic about this group’s ability to improve outside of health, as Letang, Dumolin, and Schultz all missed time with injuries last season. Despite trading Kessel away, the Penguins should ice one of the league’s top forward groups. It will be intriguing to see how newer additions such as Galchenyuk, Bjugstad, Kahun, and McCann can mesh in their first full seasons with the team. The Penguins are too deep up front to harbour doubts amid the uncertainty of their refreshed look, especially given their depth at centre, including personal favourite Teddy Blugers. Carolina 18/19 was the season that the Bunch of Jerks finally parlayed their dominance in statistics such as Expected Goals and Corsi into points in the standings. A big reason for their success was due to the goaltending they got from Mrazek and MacElhenny. Mrazek returns and might be forced to grow beyond a tandem starter as James Reimer takes over the backup role. There is a chance the tandem will get some additional help from Anton Forsberg or Alex Nedeljkovic, as the younger Nedeljkovic has shown very promising development since being drafted 37th in 2014. This is the weakest part of the Hurricanes’ lineup, and the biggest reason for any doubts in the team’s ability to advance to the postseason. Carolina has one of the strongest defence groups in the league, and an interesting note is that they don’t have a defenceman over 30 signed to a contract. With one regular spot after the likes of Hamilton, Slavic, Pesce, Faulk, and Van Riemsdyk up for grabs, it will be interesting to see how the Hurricanes navigate that depth. All four of Bean, Fleury, Forsling, and Priskie would probably get opportunities to play on other teams, so we’ll see how much of a chance they each get. The theme of youth and depth is also present within the forward group. Although Carolina has added Dzingel and Haula, the biggest improvements may come from the development of younger players such as Svechnikov, Necas, or perhaps a less heralded prospect like Morgan Geekie. New Jersey The Devils made a lot of noise this offseason, adding players of great quality in positions of great need, and are thusly a must watch team for the 19/20 season. One area that saw none of those additions is in net. Perhaps this is because the organization is sold on Blackwood, a personal favourite, and Schneider as a tandem. It is in the realm of possibility that both can perform well in over 30 starts, in fact they might need to in order for the Devils to keep up in the playoff race. The good thing for the goalies is that the defence group is positioned to be much stronger than las season. Although some may point out that he is not the player he once was, P.K. Subban instantly becomes the leader of this d corps. The effect of his strong play, along with another year of development, affords a great opportunity for many of the Devils expected top 6 to increase their influence, especially Butcher and Severson. Before even considering the emergence of a prospect, such as Colton White, Ty Smith, or Reilly Walsh, this is definitely a defence that should inspire fans. The theme of adding exciting new players is rounded out nicely in this revamped Devils offence. With great joy we’ll get to see both Gusev and Hughes make their anticipated debuts. Alongside a healthy Hall, acquired Simmonds, and the chance for Hischier or Bratt to increase their impact, the Devils offence should be deeper and more dynamic. New Jersey has a lot more cap space than most potential deadline buyers, so they might be in a position to address any needs that develop over the course of the year. Philadelphia Like New Jersey, Philadelphia made the playoffs in 17/18 before missing in 18/19, so the team will be looking to reach a new height in 19/20. A bigger x-factor than goaltending situations, a lot of what goes into projecting the Flyers’ position in the final standings will be based off of one’s confidence in Carter Hart. Goaltending prospects are normally slow-building and volatile, and so Hart is bound to either continue surpassing expectations or conversely falter eventually. Having a veteran who can play 30 games is the ideal support for the sophomore, so Elliot is entrusted with stabilizing the backup position. The defence has a slightly new look, as veterans Niskanen and Braun will look to form synergy with the Flyers’ growing returnees. A new coach, read Vingault, might help a player like Sanhiem, Provorov, or Myers to find new opportunities to thrive in. That positional power vacuum is active throughout the forward lineup as well. Adding Miller will undoubtably increase the centre depth behind Couturier, but will also allow a player like Nolan Patrick to be freed up for different roles. Without projecting any prospects, like Frost, Farabee, or Rubtsov, making the jump to the NHL, the Flyers’ have the depth to deploy a strong top 9. Columbus It’s rare to see a mass exodus like we did this offseason, but the Blue Jackets will be pressing to continue their success despite losing several top players to free agency. Perhaps the most obvious hole in their roster lies in net, as with Bobrovsky gone the job falls to both Korpisalo and Merzlikins. Korpisalo has had mixed results in his first few seasons in the league, so we’ll see how he responds to the added pressure. Merzlikins has been impressive for the last few years in the NLA and the World Championship, but it’s hard to expect that Columbus won’t add another goalie at some point this year. Vehvilainen is a strong prospect who has had success in Liiga, but as a 22 year old it probably isn’t reasonable to expect him to push for NHL time. Luckily for the Jackets’ young goalies they will be playing behind one of the league’s better defence corps, lead by Jones and Werenski. The group is also quite deep as Kukan, Nutivaara, Harrington, and Gavrikov will all be fighting for bottom pair minutes. Up front CBJ will miss Panarin and Duchene, and while it’s unlikely that they will find contributors to replace them man for man there is some hope that younger players such as Bemstrom, Bjokstrand, and Texier will be able to contribute in meaningful top 9 roles. Columbus does sport some bonafide talent with Dubois and Atkinson, so it’s not as if the departure of their free agents renders them hapless. New York Islanders The Islanders became the strongest defensive team last year, winning the Jennings Trophy. Although it was quite unlikely to see such a turn around, it’s also quite unlikely that they can repeat that feat. Replacing Lehner with Varlamov is a slight downgrade in my opinion, especially given Varlamov’s injury history. Griess will continue to be a strong option as a tandem backup. The defence will be quite similar to last year, although it might be time that Devon Toews becomes the Islanders best defenceman. New York will most likely be as patient as possible with all their prospects, meaning it’s unlikely we’ll see Dobson or Wilde, and more likely that Aho will continue pushing for a spot. Up front the theme of patience continues, as it’s unlikely that younger prospects like Walhstrom make the team, and more likely that Fritz, Dal Colle, and Ho-Sang will try to earn spots. The Islanders have veteran checking forwards, especially in their bottom 6, so a infusion of youth and skill could go a long way towards complementing and legitimizing the offensive attack. New York Rangers Similar to division rivals and fellow lottery winners New Jersey, the offseason has been wrought with intriguing upgrades for the Rangers. That is good news for the returning tandem of Lundqvist and Georgiev, who form one of the stronger goaltending situations in a Metro division with so much uncertainty in said aspect. With Shesterokin pushing for minutes as well, the Rangers seem poised to carry their success in net into the future as well. The defence is improved as well, with Trouba and Fox joining a group that needed to be improved for the Rangers to regain their competitiveness in regards to the playoff race. The additions could help stabilize some returnees such as Skjie and D’Angelo as well. On offence, Panarin represents an upgrade in game breaking skill that was missing last year. Ultimately New York will need significant top 6 contributions from it’s young forwards to pose a serious offensive threat, so the onus will be on the likes of Kakko, Kravtsov, Chytl, Howden, and Anderson to elevate their games. Insulated by legitimate top 6 players like Panarin, Zibanejad, and Krieder, a playoff berth is probably a bit too much to ask, although it will be very exciting to watch this team find their way together.

[thrashermaxey]

Ramblings: Draisaitl, Bjorkstrand, Kuemper, Tatar, & Assessing Binnington’s Future

  The Panthers have officially hit the wall. They could only ride Jonathan Huberdeau and Aleksander Barkov for so long. Those two were on the heater to end all heaters the last month or so. Alas, all good things come to an end. And for my finals' opponent (who owns them both plus Keith Yandle) it couldn’t have come at a worse time.

  The Panthers were smacked around 6-1 by the Habs on Tuesday. Tomas Tatar scored two goals and added an assist, Carey Price stopped 33 and the Canadiens moved to within a point of the first Wild Card.

  Florida was officially eliminated from contention.

  Tatar has been a godsend off the bench for many squads this month. The 28-year-old has 10 points in 12 March contests – nine of which have come at even-strength. His 57 points in 75 games represent a new career-high. All the metrics are right where they need to be. This is a rejuvenated player who should be capable of posting 55-plus again next season.

  **

Speaking of the Panthers, Roberto Luongo didn’t dress in this one but recently had some words for reporters about his future. The gist of it is he’s unsure. To me, that speaks volumes. The 40-year-old's decision to hang them up holds massive implications for the Canucks.

  If you recall, he was signed to a monster 12-year deal that found a sneaky way to circumvent to old CBA by front-loading the dollars. The current CBA slid in the recapture penalty that forces the Canucks to eat a big stinky sock’s worth of cap if he decides to retire early. Seems fair, eh? Penalize something that was technically legal when it happened. I know a lawyer or three who would have a field day with this in any other setting. 

  Here’s how that looks if Bobby Lu retires early:

  Here’s what I think of it:

  I maintain that it will be absolute bullshit if the league actually punished the #Canucks for the Lu deal if he retires early.

The deal was legit at the time. The change came after.

Plus, who remembers that 1st NJ was supposed to give up in the Kovy fiasco?

Yeah, exactly.

— /Cam Robinson/ (@Hockey_Robinson) March 27, 2019

    I guess we’ll have to wait and see if he simply finds a way onto LTIR to collect his cheques and save his former club.

  **

Sergei Bobrovsky is showing up when it matters most – for his squad and for his fantasy owners. The Blue Jackets’ netminder rattled off his second consecutive shutout on Tuesday evening. This time making 26 stops to blank the Islanders 4-0.

  Much has been said about the pending unrestricted free-agent and the likely anchor of a contract he may sign on July 1. Well, the two-time Vezina winner has been near the top of the heap for the last three months. Stretching back to the beginning of February, Bobrovsky is 14-7-0 with six shutouts and a 0.930 save percentage make. He’s had a few clunkers mixed in there, but the overall theme is positive.

  He remains a tier one guy heading into 2019-20 – especially if he finds himself on a contender next fall.

  Cam Atkinson (1+1) and Matt Duchene (0+2) led the way for CBJ. But Oliver Bjorkstrand looked strong as well. He tallied his 17th goal of the season and peppered six shots on goal. He has three goals in his last four games.

  #MARCH26 #NYIvsCBJ 3rd period Oliver Bjorkstrand (17) 3-0 #CBJ pic.twitter.com/A0utd0E0Vk

— John Smith (@NJviDs) March 27, 2019

  The 23-year-old has seen his production dip in his second full campaign, but with Artemi Panarin all but gone this summer, he’s in line for a major uptick in deployment.

  You’d be wise to take a long look at him in drafts next fall.

  **

Reports came out on Tuesday that Hurricanes prospect and Hobey Baker finalist, Adam Fox will return to Harvard for this senior year and test unrestricted free agency in August 2020. This is a big blow for the Hurricanes who targetted Fox in last summer's blockbuster trade with Calgary. It's great news for all the teams in search of a young, super offensive right-shot defender though. 

  Fox will have plenty of suitors next summer. 

  **

In another 4-0 affair, the Sens defeated the Sabres. Both these teams are pretty bad so I’m going to just leave it at that. Okay, maybe a bit more. Thomas Chabot recorded two assists in this one. 52 points in 64 games for the sophomore blueliner is… nutty. He’s the real deal.

  **

Evgeni Kuznetsov tallied three helpers, Alex Ovechkin scored his 49th, and Braden Holtby made 27 stops as the Capitals defeated the Hurricanes 4-1. Nicklas Backstrom finished this one off with an empty-netter to give him 70 points on the season. He joins and surpasses, some lofty company with that point.

  Burying an ENG, Nicklas Backstrom ties Mike Gartner for the 2nd most 70+ point seasons in @Capitals history & Henrik Sedin for the 3rd most such campaigns by a Swedish player in NHL history (8)

— StatsCentre (@StatsCentre) March 27, 2019

  Backy remains one of the most underappreciated stars of this generation. I like him for 70 more next season too.

  **

The Oilers dropped a touchdown and two-point conversion the lowly Kings in one of the late games on Tuesday. Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl each had four points. McDavid went the 1+3 route to set career-highs in assists (73) and points (112). Meanwhile, Drai scored the hat trick and added an assist. His 46 goals sit second behind Ovechkin with a handful of games left on the schedule for each team.

  Draisaitl now has 99 points on the season. Just think, the Oilers will have two 100-point scorers on their team and be NOWHERE NEAR CONTENDING. As my good buddy, Jason Botchford says, It takes an army.

  **

Jon Quick allowed five goals on 11 shots. He doesn’t even look like an NHL goaltender anymore. Turns out netminders who rely on reflexes and desperation saves don’t age well. Who’d have figured?

  **

Chicago and Arizona met on Tuesday with real playoff implications. The Yotes came into the evening two points back of the Avs for the final Wild Card spot. The Blackhawks sat five back – technically still in it, but we all know they aren't. 

  Darcy Kuemper continued to be a rock for the desert dogs. He made 31 stops for his fourth shutout of the campaign. This season could've easily been a write-off when Antti Raanta went down in November. But thanks to Kuemper, Arizona has a legitimate shot at some playoff revenue. He's posted a quality start in 34 of 51 outings, while his 0.924 save percentage on the year is fourth amongst regular starters. 

  His value lies at this moment, as we won't be seeing him earn this amount of starts next year. That is unless we see a team make a play for the 28-year-old via trade. He makes 1.8 million next season before hitting unrestricted free agency. 

  **

The late game featured two more non-playoff teams as the Ducks visited the Canucks. While the players are trying to win games, each fan base is rooting for regulation Ls. 

  Sam Steel scored a hattrick through two periods of play and was buzzing throughout. He has four points in the two games since being recalled. The 21-year-old has had a strong first professional season. He’s hovered around the 0.8 point-per-game mark in the American League �� no easy feat for a youngster, and now appears to be finishing the year off on a high note with the big club.

  Personally, I prefer Troy Terry between the two young Ducks’ forwards, but Steel has a nice set of skills and should slide nicely into a top-six centre position; potentially as early as next season.

  The Ducks took this one 5-4 after the Canucks scored two late third period goals.

  Obligatory Elias Pettersson highlight. 

  Pettersson lays out Sam Steel with the reverse hit#Canucks pic.twitter.com/U9rQ2gzGal

— Ryan Biech (@ryanbiech) March 27, 2019

  **

Let’s talk about Jordan Binnington for a moment. For years, the Blues have swung wildly with the tides of mediocre goaltending. Jake Allen, long pegged as the goaltender of the future, became the goaltender of now. It started out so promising.

  As a 24-year-old, Allen came in and posted a 0.913 save percentage in 37 games back in 2014-15. He followed that up with a 0.920 over 47 contests in 2015-16. The ball was officially given to him in 2016-17 and he rewarded the organization with a 0.915 in 61 games – including a 54 percent quality start rating.

  Since then, things have not been so rosy. Over the next 103 contests, the now 28-year-old has a 0.905 save percentage and has made a habit of blowing up and giving up softies. He’s been a clear Achilles heel on a team that on paper should be a contender most years.

  Enter Binnington. Well, not exactly. Heading into 2018-19, the expectation was for Ville Husso to make a play to peel starts away from Allen. Huuso had produced spectacular numbers in the Finnish Liiga and followed that up with a 0.921 over his first 60 AHL contests. He had the size (6’3), pedigree, and recent production boxes all checked off.

  Personally, I had Husso ranked very high amongst goaltending prospects and fully expected him to make some noise this season. Conversely, Binnginton was a bit undersized and was shipped off to Providence to get starts because he couldn’t push Husso out of the crease in San Antonio.

  What has happened since is nothing short of miraculous. We know the story, Binnington has arrived and has slammed the door shut on many an evening. His .930 save percentage trails only Ben Bishop for goalies with at least 20 games. His 68 percent quality start mark also sits second in the NHL.

  His 0.942 mark at even-strength leads all netminders by six points.

  It’s been nothing but gravy in Missouri for the Ontario-native. So what the hell do we do with this heading into drafts next fall? We can’t pencil this guy down for 45 wins and a Vezina, that would lunacy.

  Is he Andrew Hammond or Devan Dubnyk?

  If I’m being completely honest, I can’t say. I can say that he’s been producing these metrics in a somewhat reasonable manner. He’s making clean saves, controlling rebounds like a veteran, and recovering from tough goals and outings. Those are traits I love to see. It doesn’t hurt that he has a decent defensive core in front of him and a team that has found their mojo. There’s little reason to expect the Blues to fall back off that cliff early next season like they did this year.

  If I’m sitting down to draft a one-year league next fall, I’m pencilling Binnington into a tier two position. I feel that’s as aggressive as anyone should be. We’re constantly burned by the masked men, that drinking the kool-aid too quickly will send you on a not so welcoming trip.

  **

Follow me on Twitter @Hockey_Robinson

    from All About Sports https://dobberhockey.com/hockey-rambling/ramblings-draisaitl-bjorkstrand-kuemper-tatar-assessing-binningtons-future/

[liigainenglish]

QUICK CHECK-UP: ILVES

2019-20 SEASON: 4TH PLACE

The season started off pretty badly for Tampereen Ilves with only one win out of the first 7 games. This then led to the coach being fired and the new coach Jouko Myrrä taking over a year before than he was actually supposed to. After this it turned to 6 wins out of 9 games and rising in the stands and making it to the top 5 by end of November and staying in that position for the rest of the season.

2020-21 SEASON

The team has taken kind of a risque route by having several loan players in the roster, including their #1 goalie Lukas Dostal. This would mean they could lose five key players just after a few months into the season to the NHL. There are though plenty of veterans available at the moment, but as youth is Ilves’s key it’s questionable would they fit the team.

ROSTER MOVES

LOAN PLAYERS

Lukas Dostal (Anaheim Ducks, NHL option)

Matias Maccelli (Arizona Coyotes, NHL option)

Arttu Ruotsalainen (Buffalo Sabres, NHL option)

Lassi Thomson (Ottawa Senators, NHL option)

Juuso Välimäki (Calgary Flames)

CONTRACT EXTENSIONS

Ville Kolppanen

Kalle Maalahti

PLAYERS JOINING

Joni Ikonen (<- Kalpa)

Taavi Vartiainen (<- Pelicans)

Ondrej Roman (<- HC Vitkovice, Czech)

Santeri Airola (<- Ketterä, Mestis)

PLAYERS LEAVING

Elias Laitamäki (-> TPS)

Topias Haapanen (-> TPS)

Oskari Laaksonen (-> Buffalo Sabres, NHL / Pelicans)

Robert Leino (-> Örebro, SHL)

Teemu Rautiainen (-> GC/Küsnacht, NLB)

Erik Ahopelto (-> Hermes, Mestis)

Jasse Ikonen (-> ?)

[liigainenglish]

QUICK CHECK-UP: JYP

2019-20 SEASON: 8TH PLACE

Coming into the New Year’s JYP Jyväskylä was one of the hottest teams in the league. But then… A catastrophic 8 game losing streak at the start of the year 2020 made them drop from 3rd place to 7th. The coach Pekka Tirkkonen admitted that they had been seeing an issue in their game earlier but not done anything about it at the time being because of still being able to win games.

2020-21 SEASON

With leading score leader Julius Nättinen leaving the team, it is up to the young talent to fill up the gap he left. The team acquired Carolina Hurricanes prospect Patrik Puistola during the off-season after he had been playing in three different teams the previous season. Rookie Brad Lambert also made headlines by leaving HIFK and joining JYP instead because of having a better chance to break into the core lineup.

ROSTER MOVES

LOANS

Veini Vehviläinen (Columbus Blue Jackets, NHL option)

CONTRACT EXTENSIONS

Aleksi Malinen

Tomi Niku

Kimi Kuusela

Joni Airo

Samuel Valkeejärvi

PLAYERS JOINING

Brad Lambert (<- HIFK)

Patrik Puistola (<- KooKoo)

Severi Lahtinen (<- Pelicans),

Mikko Salmio (<- Ässät)

Aleksi Salonen (<- TPS)

Samuel Helenius (<- Jokerit U20, JR SM-Liiga)

Joni Jurmo (<- Jokerit U20, JR SM-Liiga)

PLAYERS LEAVING

Samuli Ratinen (-> KooKoo)

Julius Nättinen (-> Ambri-Piotta, NLA)

Juuso Vainio (-> Växjö, SHL)

Juho-Pekka Hytönen (->  Black Wings 1992, IceHL/EBEL)

Anton Stråka (-> Dornbirner , IceHL/EBEL)

Olli-Petteri Viinikainen (-> Koovee, Mestis)

Jaakko Jokinen (-> HC Vita Hästen, Allsvenskan)

Eetu Laurikainen (-> ?)

Julius Honka (-> ?)

Mikko Mäenpää (-> ?)

Petrus Palmu (-> ?)

Aleksi Rutanen (-> ?)

[liigainenglish]

QUICK CHECK-UP: HPK

2019-20 SEASON: 7TH PLACE

Since Hämeenlinnan Pallokerho (HPK) won championships in 2018-19 and with the corona pandemic ending the latest season before the playoffs, they basically are still the reigning champions. As I probably stated multiple times during the season in the monthly reports, the team was constantly going up and down with their game and their scoring, that for that reason 7th place was probably the highest they could get. 

2020-21 SEASON

As Antti Pennanen takes the national U20 team under his control, HPK is introducing a 33-year-old Matti Tiilikainen as their new head coach. Tiilikainen has previously coached in... DEL2? I’m not going make any comments about the level of German hockey leagues, because of not knowing them that well (someone msg and tell me stuff, I’m always interested!), but it does seem quite an interesting acquisition from their part even when he’s been coaching the HPK’s U20 team earlier.

ROSTER MOVES

LOAN PLAYERS

Jared McIsaac (Detroit Red Wings)

CONTRACT EXTENSIONS

Valtteri Puustinen

Erkka Seppälä

Jere Jokinen

Santtu Hakanen

Valtteri Jeskanen

PLAYERS JOINING

Petri Kontiola (<- Jokerit, KHL)

Eemeli Räsänen (<- Jokerit, KHL)

Jesse Mankinen (<- HC Davos, NLA)

Juuso Ikonen (<- HV71, SHL)

Ville Koistinen (<- HC Sparta Praha, Extraliga)

Harri Kainulainen (<- Kiekko-Vantaa, Mestis)

Daniel Mäkiaho (<- Kiekko-Espoo U20, JR SM-Liiga)

Aleksi Seppälä (<- Tappara U20, JR SM-Liiga)

Daniel Lebedeff (<- University of Wisconsin, NCAA)

PLAYERS LEAVING

Filip Krivosik (-> SaiPa)

Cody Kunyk (-> Kärpät)

Miro Karjalainen (-> HIFK)

Rasmus Reijola (-> Sport) 

Petteri Nikkilä (-> Linköping, SHL)

Niklas Friman (-> Jokerit, KHL)

Arto Laatikainen (-> Kiekko-Espoo, Mestis)

Nico Nurmikanta (-> Kiekko-Vantaa, Mestis)

Roope Laavainen (-> IPK, Mestis/KalPa)

Janne Jokinen (-> FPS, Mestis)

Antti Karjalainen (-> Hokki, Mestis)

Janne Tavi (-> ?)

Philippe Cornet (-> ?)

Rob Bordson (-> ?)

[liigainenglish]

QUICK CHECK-UP: HIFK

2019-20 SEASON: 6TH PLACE

What first comes to mind with Helsingin IFK’s 2019-20 season is injuries, injuries, injuries, and more injuries. Not a single player managed to play a full 60 game season, as the closest one was defenseman Johan Motin with 59. The constant injuries in the lineup certainly affected the team and ended up having them hovering right by the playoffs and playoffs qualifier line for several months.

2020-21 SEASON

Apparently more injuries, injuries, and injuries. Already missing from the lineup for this season are forwards Lennart Petrell, Ville Leskinen and Rasmus Heljanko. Petrell has heart related issues that though should bring him back by the end of the month, while Leskinen and Heljanko are both out until New Year’s.

ROSTER MOVES

LOAN PLAYERS

Emil Bemström (Columbus Blue Jackets, NHL option)

Joona Luoto (Winnipeg Jets, NHL option)

CONTRACT EXTENSIONS

Jere Sallinen

Juho Keränen

Aleksi Laakso

Tobias Winberg

Rasmus Heljanko

Eero Teräväinen

Roope Taponen

PLAYERS JOINING:

Niilo Halonen (<- KooKoo)

Miro Karjalainen (<- HPK)

Miro Väänänen (<- Jokipojat, Mestis)

Alex Broadhurst (<- San Diego Gulls, AHL)

Elis Hede (<- Chicago Steel, USHL)

PLAYERS LEAVING:

Brad Lambert (-> JYP)

Teemu Engberg (-> KooKoo)

Otto Paajanen (->  Leksand, SHL)

Teemu Turunen (-> Davos, NLA)

Janne Hämäläinen (-> SapKo, Mestis)

Thomas Nykopp (-> Karhu-Kissat, III-division, ended pro career)

Joonas Järvinen (-> ?)

Atte Engren (-> ?)

Michael Keränen (-> ?)

Jeremy Dehner (-> ?)