The Fantastic Finns and the Toronto Maple Leafs
In the 2020 NHL Entry Draft, the Toronto Maple Leafs held 12 selections, 4 of which were Finns. With a number of those 4 selected this year in addition to selections made in 2019, the Leafs will be represented heavily in the Finnish blue and white.
The Leafs that have chances of making the final roster include defensemen Kalle Koponen (2019 7th round), Topi Niemela (2020 3rd round), Mikko Kokkonen (2019 3rd round), and forward Roni Hirvonen (2020 2nd round),
The only returning member of the team from that list is Mikko Kokkonen who had 2 goals in 7 games last year. Other top players highlighting Team Finland in the Edmonton Bubble will be Anton Lundell (Florida), Aatu Räty (2021 Draft), and Joel Blomqvist (Pittsburgh).
Pretty much all of the Leafs on the Finns Roster fit the typical Finnish hockey model. They skate at a high level, protect the puck well, and play a full 200-foot game. All of these assets make them a pretty hard team to play against.
The Finnish Leaf prospect’s individual stats this year haven’t been something to bat an eye at either. Hirvonen, Niemela, and Kokkonen have all been spending the majority of the year in the Liiga (the top league in Finland).
In 20 games with Ässät, Hirvonen has put up 5 goals and 9 points. In 9 games, with Kärpät, Niemela has put up 3 assists. While playing with Jukurit and serving as an Assistant Captain, Mikko Kokkonen has put up 3 assists in 18 games while playing top-line minutes ( stats eliteprospects.com).
Kalle Loponen has spent the majority of this year with Kärpät’s U20 team, where he has put up 16 points in 22 games. The Finns won’t have as many big fish competing as some other teams like Russia, Canada, and the US will, but as Toronto Maple Leafs Fans it will sure be interesting to watch the plenty of talent on the come up in the Leafs’ system.