2026 World Junior Championship: Team Finland Final Roster

One player that will not be at the World Juniors for Team Finland is Konsta Helenius of the Buffalo Sabres. Helenius, currently playing for the Rochester Americans of the AHL, could have been Finland’s most important skater at the tournament.

Goaltenders

Petteri Rimpinen – Drafted by the Los Angeles Kings with the 152^nd pick of the 2025 NHL Entry Draft, Rimpinen remains unsigned. The Kirkkonummi, Finland native has a .896 in 23 games for Kiekko-Espoo of Liiga, the top Finnish hockey league.

Kim Saarinen – Drafted by the Seattle Kraken with the 88^th overall pick in the 2025 NHL Entry Draft, Saarinen has a unique combination of size and skill that is rare for goaltenders. The 6’4”, 187 lb. goalie has a 5-8-5 record in 18 games for HPK in Liiga.

Patrik Kerkola – At only 18 years old, Kerkola is one of the top goalies in the 2026 draft class and uses his mobility to track shots well. Kerkola has a record of 3-2 in six games started for Kalpa in Liiga.

Defensemen

Lasse Boelius – At 6’1” and 190 lbs., Boelius uses his fluid hips to explode past forecheckers. Boelius was drafted by the Anaheim Ducks with the 60th overall pick in the 2025 NHL Entry Draft.

Mitja Jokinen – At only 5’11” and 172 lbs., Jokinen makes up for his lack of size by using his intelligence to move the puck. Jokinen played the entire 2024 season with TPS of Liiga and could be drafted if he can prove to NHL teams that his puck-moving could translate to the next level.

Aron Kiviharju – At only 5’10 and 181 lbs., Kiviharju makes up for his lack of size by being cerebral. Kiviharju was drafted by the Minnesota Wild with the 122nd overall pick in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft and played in 24 games for HIFK of Liiga so far this season.

Daniel Nieminen – A sixth-round draft pick of the Nashville Predators in the 2025 NHL Entry Draft, Nieminen is a slightly small defenseman who uses his skating base to be a mobile, two-way defenseman. In 27 games for Pelicans of Liiga, Nieminen has two goals and three assists.

Niklas Nykyri – Niklas Nykyri is a big defenseman at 6’2” and 190 lbs. with a heavy shot. Beyond that, his habits give him the ability to transport the puck.

Juho Piiparinen – At only 17 years old, Piiparinen is one of the top defensive prospects in the 2026 NHL Entry Draft. Piiparinen is 6’3” and 203 lbs., who uses this frame to defend well.

Veeti Väisänen – Drafted with the 96^th overall pick in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft by the Utah Mammoth, Veeti Väisänen is a slightly small defenseman at 6’1” and 190 lbs. Väisänen is quick enough to recover in most defensive situations.

Arttu Välilä – Arttu Välilä is the rare defenseman who picks his spots to make plays from the point down. Välilä has eight assists in 30 games for Lukko in Liiga so far this season.

Forwards

Emil Hemming – The Dallas Stars saw Emil Hemming’s shot as his calling card to draft him with the 29^th overall pick in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft. Hemming has used this shot to score eight goals and add 20 assists in 17 games for the Barrie Colts of the Ontario Hockey League this season.

Atte Joki – The Dallas Stars drafted Atte Joki with the 14th overall pick in the 2025 NHL Entry Draft. Joki does most of his work away from the puck by being physical and has shown flashes of being a capable shooter.

Onni Kalto – Onni Kalto uses his big frame to drive the net. The Helsinki, Finland native has scored five goals and added four assists in 31 games for the Oshawa Generals so far this season.

Aatos Koivu – Aatos Koivu was drafted by the Montreal Canadiens with the 70^th overall pick in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft. Koivu has used his heavy shot to score two goals and added five assists in 30 games for TPS of Liiga so far this season.

Jasper Kuhta – Jasper Kuhta is a crafty finisher who is 6’2” and 198 lbs. Kuhta is one of the top forward prospects eligible to be drafted in the 2026 NHL Entry Draft who has scored 17 goals and added 13 assists in 32 games for the Ottawa 67’s of the Ontario Hockey League this season.

Julius Miettinen – Julius Miettinen is a massive Finnish forward who was drafted 40^th overall by the Seattle Kraken in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft. Miettinen is always in the right spot, and he can skate very well.

Kasper Pikkarainen – Kasper Pikkarainen is a 6’3” winger who uses his big frame and heavy shot and never misses the opportunity to lay the body. Drafted with the 85th overall pick in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft by the New Jersey Devils, Pikkarainen has three assists in 25 games for TPS in Liiga this season.

Heikki Ruohonen – Heikki Ruohonen was drafted by the Philadelphia Flyers with the 107^th overall pick in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft. The Helsinki, Finland native is a 6’2”, 205 lb. center who has scored one goal and added four assists in 11 games for Harvard University during the 2025-26 NCAA season.

Joona Saarelainen – Joona Saarelainen was drafted by the Tampa Bay Lightning with the 149th overall pick in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft. The two-way, speedster forward uses quickness and a relentless motor to score one goal and add eight assists in 27 games for KalPa of Liiga during the 2025-26 season.

Oliver Suvanto – Oliver Suvanto is a top center prospect for the 2026 NHL Entry Draft. The 6’3”, 209 lb. Turku, Finland native made a name for himself at the Hlinka-Gretzky Cup as one of Finland’s top performers, scoring two goals and adding two assists in five games for the under-18 team.

Leo Tuuva – Leo Tuuva is a slightly small right-winger who is small at 6’1” and 190 lbs. In 23 games for Lukko in Liiga, Tuuva scored three goals and added six assists.

Matias Vanhanen – Matias Vanhanen is an intelligent forward prospect who is eligible to be drafted in the 2026 NHL Entry Draft. Vanhanen has used this intelligence to score seven goals and add 37 assists in 31 games for the Everett Silvertips of the Western Hockey League during the 2025-26 season.

Roope Vesterinen – Roope Vesterinen is a speedy winger who uses his quickness to create chances off the rush. In 29 games for HPK of Liiga during the 2025-26 season, Vesterinen has scored one goal and added three assists.

Max Westergård – Max Westergård is a cerebral winger who has produced at every level of hockey. In 12 games for Frölunda HC under-20 team during the 2025-26 SHL season, Westergård scored four goals and added 17 assists.

Final Thoughts

Finland is a perennial medal contender at the World Juniors. Having 11 players returning from the 2025 WJC gives Finland lots of experience. However, the absence of Konsta Helenius will hinder Finland’s playmaking. However, the roster that Finland is bringing will have plenty of intelligence and work ethic to make up for this omission.

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