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Finland Archives
09-09-2008 - Finnish SM-Liiga prospects 2008-09 season preview
The 2008-09 SM-Liiga will have a very different look as once again some top players have headed for greener pastures elsewhere. While that may not help the quality of play, it should lead to more opportunities for younger players who might otherwise have to wait to play key roles.
12-23-2007 - 2008 WJC: Agile Swedes looking for 2007 repeat
On Friday, Nordic rivals Finland and Sweden met for an exhibition game in the idyllic village of Litomysl.
07-06-2007 - Finland 2007 draft review
A total of four picks constituted an extremely poor draft for Finland.
06-18-2007 - Top 10 Finland prospects for the 2007 draft
Niclas Lucenius leads the group of prospects in one of Finland's weakest draft years.
04-10-2007 - Team Finland U18 WC preview
Hosting the U18 games, Finland has to compete with a team lacking in star power.
03-14-2007 - Finnish SM-liiga regular season review
While the playoffs of the Finnish elite league are underway, we look at how the league's young prospects did in the regular season.
01-13-2007 - Finnish 2007 WJC review
Team Finland finished sixth in the 2007 World Junior Championships.
12-22-2006 - Team Finland 2007 WJC preview
High hopes are justified for Finland, which is sending an experienced team to the 2007 World Junior Championships.
10-29-2006 - Finnish U20 League report
Prospects of past and future drafts have played through one-third of the Junior A league's regular season.
09-23-2006 - 2006-07 Finnish SM-liiga prospects preview
Thirty-seven drafted NHL prospects are playing in the Finnish SM-liiga in 2006-07.
08-27-2006 - Top 30 drafted Finnish prospects
Goaltenders dominate the list of top Finnish prospects.
08-17-2006 - 2006 USA Junior camp wrap up (Part 2 - Finland and Sweden)
The Finnish and Swedish teams that competed against the USA Blue and USA White split-squad teams at the USA 2006 National Junior Evaluation Camp in Lake Placid, NY had just a couple of NHL first rounders combined, compared to 10 for the home teams.
07-05-2006 - Laakso prepares for important year in Finland
Defenseman Teemu Laakso took part in Predators conditioning camp before he enters the army and an important development year with Helsinki.
07-03-2006 - Finland 2006 draft review
Goaltender Riku Helenius was the first Finn to be taken in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft.
06-19-2006 - Finnish Top 15 prospects for the 2006 NHL Entry Draft
Jesse Joensuu tops the list of Finnish prospects available for the 2006 NHL Entry Draft.
04-18-2006 - SM-liiga prospects season review
A look at the notable NHL prospects in the Finnish elite league this season.
04-11-2006 - Team Finland for the U18 World Championships
The Finnish U-18 team has good depth but little star power this year.
02-09-2006 - Q&A with Lauri Tukonen
Los Angeles Kings 2004 first rounder Lauri Tukonen has always excelled at a young age, be it in the Finnish I Division as a 15-year-old or the Finnish Elite League as a 17-year-old. The Finn is doing it once again, this time with the Manchester Monarchs as an AHL rookie.
02-06-2006 - Q&A with Valtteri Filppula
The 21-year-old Detroit prospect is making a successful transition to North American hockey, averaging nearly a point per game for the Grand Rapids Griffins, playing for PlanetUSA in the AHL All-Star Game, and establishing himself as one of Detroit’s top prospects.
01-17-2006 - Finland 2006 WJC tournament review
Top NHL prospects Tuukka Rask and Lauri Tukonen made the WJC tournament all-star team, as Finland won the bronze medal.
12-30-2005 - 2006 WJC: Seitsonen and Finland hope to rebound
With their two toughest contests out of the way, Aki Seitsonen and Team Finland are looking to rebound in the 2006 World Junior Championships.
12-29-2005 - 2006 WJC: Q&A with Tuukka Rask
Maple Leafs 2005 first rounder Tuukka Rask has played one of two games for Finland in the round robin portion of the 2006 WJC.
12-24-2005 - Finland 2006 WJC preview
An in-depth look at the players who make up the 2006 Finnish WJC squad.
10-03-2005 - Top 30 Finnish prospects
Kari Lehtonen tops the list of Finnish prospects for likely the last time.
08-15-2005 - Finnish 2005 draft review
Nine Finns were selected in 2005, headlined by goaltender Tuukka Rask.
07-11-2005 - Q&A with Teemu Lassila
Goaltender Teemu Lassila is working on improving his game as he moved to the Swedish Elite League for 2005-06.
06-07-2005 - Top 15 Finnish prospects for the 2005 NHL Entry Draft
Goaltender Tuukka Rask heads a group of mostly defensive Finnish prospects for the 2005 NHL Entry Draft.
04-14-2005 - Preview of Team Finland for Under-18 WC
Tuukka Rask, Teemu Laakso and Perttu Lindgren, top prospects for the next draft, will lead Finland's Under-18 team.
01-04-2005 - 2006 eligible Jesse Joensuu has NHL size
Seventeen-year-old Jesse Joensuu of Team Finland was one of three highly touted 2006 draft eligibles at the 2005 World Junior Championships.
12-22-2004 - Finland sends young team to WJC
A detailed look at the Finnish roster for the 2005 World Junior Championship.
11-14-2004 - Sweden defeats Finland to win U20 tournament
Finland was the better team, but thanks to excellent goaltending by David Rautio and two goals by Robert Nilsson won its final game and also the U20 tournament.
11-13-2004 - Finland scores six on Swiss, takes bronze
Finland beat Switzerland 6-3 to win bronze at the 2004 U18 Compuware Four Nations Cup in Ann Arbor, MI.
11-12-2004 - Finland defeats the U20 Czechs in tight game
Youngsters Jesse Joensuu and Michael Frolik stood out in this tight, but not overly entertaining game in the Under-20 tournament in Sweden.
11-12-2004 - Russia outperforms Finland in U20 tournament
Evgeny Malkin and Denis Parshin both had excellent games as Russia bounced back from yesterday's defeat by Sweden.
11-10-2004 - Statistical update of drafted Finnish prospects
An update on 64 prospects playing in Finland after one third of the regular season.
11-09-2004 - Sweden ties Finland in opener in Four Nations Tournament
Finland’s Jussi Peltomaa scored midway through the third period to tie up Team Sweden 2-2 in Monday’s opening game of the 2004 Under 18 Compuware Four Nations Cup in Ann Arbor, MI.
09-19-2004 - Finnish Elite League prospect preview
A look at how NHL prospects will fit into the plans of their Finnish Elite League teams in 2004-05.
09-04-2004 - Top 40 prospects in Finland
A look at the top prospects, drafted and undrafted, playing in Finland. The 2004 draft class leads the group.
07-31-2004 - Finnish 2004 draft review
The total of 15 Finns draft this year is only fair at best, but there were three taken in the first round, Lauri Tukonen, Petteri Nokelainen and Lauri Korpikowski.
06-16-2004 - Finnish overagers for the 2004 draft
A look at three overagers from Finland who have a chance to be drafted in Raleigh.
05-30-2004 - Finnish goaltenders since the mid-90's
A look at key goaltenders drafted out of Finland and the increasing interest in them by NHL teams at the draft table.
03-22-2004 - Finnish prospects stats update
Statistics for all drafted players currently playing in Finnish leagues.
03-08-2004 - Lehtonen looks forward to NHL debut
Top prospect Kari Lehtonen has had a solid season in the AHL, despite three separate injuries. He looks forward to getting a try at the NHL level soon.
01-22-2004 - Finnish WJC review
Player by player review of the Finnish U20 WJC team's performance.
12-30-2003 - Petrell suspended from WJC
The Disciplinary Committee of the 2004 IIHF World U20 Championship suspended Finnish forward Lennart Petrell for two games following a severe check to the head.
12-15-2003 - No superstars in Finnish WJC lineup
Ten NHL draft picks will participate on the Finnish U-20 team in front of the home crowd.
04-24-2003 - Finnish goaltenders: the future in the crease?
A look at Finnish goaltending prospects.
03-10-2003 - Final Regular Season Statistics in Finland
SM-Liiga was the last league to play regular season games in Finland this season. With nothing but playoff games left, the final regular season statistics are ready to be viewed.
12-24-2002 - 2003 WJC Preview: Team Finland
Read on for the preview of Team Finland for the upcoming World Junior Championships!
12-16-2002 - Statistical update of all drafted prospects in Finland
The Finnish leagues are taking a Christmas break. It is about time to take a look at how the 83 drafted NHL prospects playing in Finland have been doing so far. Numbers never lie, or do they?
10-10-2002 - The First Rounds of the Finnish SM-Liiga
The regular season of the Finnish elite league started on the 17th of September. Now that eight to nine rounds have been played, we take a look at the situations of the league's dozens of NHL prospects.
07-08-2002 - Lehtonen: Looking back to the breakthrough
Few players have had a draft year as eventful as Kari Lehtonen did.
06-18-2002 - Eligible once again
A glance at Finnish players over the age of twenty whose names may be called in Toronto next weekend: Mikko Luoma, Joonas Vihko, Tom Koivisto, Marko Tuulola and Petri Pakaslahti.
05-06-2002 - Tuomo Ruutu's 2001-02 season
Tuomo Ruutu, a top prospect of the Chicago Blackhawks, played his second Finnish elite league season in Jokerit. The article is about his season in detail.
04-01-2002 - Interview with Top Finnish Prospect Joni Pitkanen
Joni Pitkanen is 2002 eligible Finnish defenceman, who is playing for his hometown Oulu in Finnish SM-liiga. Many experts believe that Pitkanen is one of the best Finnish defenceman prospects ever....
04-01-2002 - WJC: Interview with Sean Bergenheim
The Finnish left winger is touted to be drafted high in the 2002 draft. HF had a few moments to get a brief interview with Sean Bergenheim. Read on for the interview....
04-01-2002 - 2002 prospect interview: Kari Lehtonen
2002 top prospect Kari Lehtonen answered some questions about his previous career, future plans and NHL dreams. Check out!
04-01-2002 - 2002 prospect interview: Joni Pitkanen
Joni Pitkanen, the highest rated European prospect accoring to the CSB mid-term rankings, shared his opinions about his previous career, WJC and future dreams. Check it out!
04-01-2002 - Final statistics for all drafted prospects in Finland
The regular seasons of the Finnish leagues have come to an end. Almost every NHL team has prospects playing in Finland, and here are the statistics for 76 of them.
03-13-2002 - Updated statistics for Finnish 2002 draftees ranked by CSB
As the regular season of the Finnish U-20 league came to an end, it is a good time to update the statistics of 25 prospects who CSB has included in their mid-term ranking.
02-05-2002 - Under-20 WJC: A look back at the Team Finland
After the bronze medal game Finland's head coach Erkka Westerlund said that team had a good tournament and he was satisfied the way his team played. I can easily understand what he said because in my opinion...
12-27-2001 - WJC : The New Guy Backstops Finland
Kari Lehtonen didn't get the job done against Switzerland, so Finland turned to Juha Kuokkanen against the powerful Russians.
12-10-2001 - Finnish roster for WJC
Finnish roster for the WJC was released today. There were no surprises among the selected players. The WJC team is basicly the same that played in Four Nations tournament last month.
03-22-2001 - Finnish regular season ends
SM-liiga regular season ended last weekend and the playoffs start today (03/22/01). Here are the regular season numbers for NHL draftes players and some undrafted juniors.
01-30-2001 - Finnish league update
Second Finnish league update. Some new names have been added to the update. Check who is doing well and who isn't.
01-17-2001 - Finland's WJC success helps players
Finland captured its first medal since the 1998 World Championships in Helsinki. Finland again played as a team and basically everyone had at least a good tournament...
12-19-2000 - Finnish Roster for WJC
Finnish national team for WJC has been announced. Here is the roster
12-10-2000 - Finnish prospects update
Finnish SM-liiga's regular season is on halfway. Here is update on some of the players who could make the NHL.
04-08-2000 - Finnish Goaltenders
Finland has produced some of the NHL's top forwards of the 1980s and 1990s, most notably Jari Kurri and Teemu Selänne. There have also been Finnish defensemen who have emerged as top-quality NHL players...
01-02-2000 - Viking Cup 2000 (Finland vs Czech Rep.)
Finland VS Czech Rep. A hard nosed big body czeching game!
12-30-1999 - JWC - Group A Day 4
For the first time in the tournament the USA came to a game with less than 100% to give. They looked sleepy-eyed to start the game and were not as good playing a team-defense as they have been in the past...
12-27-1999 - WJC - Group A Day 2
Tie, and tie again. The Czechs and the Americans skated to a 2-2 tie in the first game of the day, and the Finns and the Slovaks tied 1-1 after Finland almost won the game with a shot that hit the crossbar in the final second of the game...
12-27-1999 - Rinkside Reflections (Slovakia-Finland)
The second live game for me in this years WJC was the encounter between Slovakia and Finland. Once again my hopes were high; Finland had surprised me in their game against Canada, and Marian Gaborik was going to be on the ice for Slovakia...
12-26-1999 - JWC - Group A Day 1
After the first day of any competition there shouldn’t be any dramatic conclusions drawn, but often there are signs that point in certain directions...
12-26-1999 - Rinkside Reflections (Canada-Finland)
The first World Junior Championship game I ever witnessed live was the encounter between Finland and Canada on Christmas Day. My hopes for the game were extremely high...
10-04-1999 - Go West Young Man! – An Interview with Jere Kolari
I recently had a chance to interview Jere Kolari, a Finnish, Kuopio born player who is now chasing his dream in WHL playing for the Lethbrigde Hurricanes. Usually it's players from Russia, Slovakia and Czech reb. who want to make the jump to North-Am
10-02-1999 - Kärpät beats FPS 11-0 (4-0, 3-0. 4-0)
It was clear before the game that Kärpät will win, but not many people believed it would be with such a big score...
09-16-1999 - Kärpät defeated Sport 4-3 (3-0, 1-1, 0-2)
At first it looked like a good game but it turned out not to be so good. Kärpät played very well in the first period, but the 3-0 lead came too easily, and more or less Kärpät stopped playing and started to surf around the rink waiting for the final
09-09-1999 - HIFK crushes KÄRPÄT 6-2. (1-0, 2-2, 3-0)
It was a weak game by Karpat, and the stronger team showed how to play. Karpat Didn't skate at all, although they are a faster team than HIFK...
08-23-1999 - Finnish Preseason Game: KÄRPÄT TIES JYP 3-3.
It was the final game of tournament, but it didn’t seem like a final. The game was slow, and there were not many bodychecks. Defensive play wasn’t tight, and offense the shots often went too high or too wide.
08-18-1999 - Finnish Preseason Game: KÄRPÄT CRUSHED LULEÄ 4-0.
After this game you could say that the team that was more active, won. That’s the simple fact. Kärpät was much faster, and played with great intensity.
08-11-1999 - Finnish Preseason Game: Kärpät v. Jokerit
Kärpät beat Jokerit, a Finnish Elite League team, 4-2 (1-0 1-1 2-1). Goals were scored by Martin Bergeron (2), Mikko Haapakoski, and Niklas Hagman. Goals for Jokerit were scored by Jari Kauppila and Jukka Tiilikainen.
06-29-1999 - Finnish Draft Review 1999
The 1999 draft is over and the first round was as European as expected. From a Finnish point of view this draft went surprisingly well – 18 Finns got drafted. It's a quite high number when you compare it to previous years...
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