Henri Jokiharju didn’t truly understand the IIHF World Championship’s popularity in Finland until he witnessed the scene in Helsinki’s Kaisaniemi Park on May 27, 2019.
After winning gold at the tournament in Slovakia that spring, Jokiharju and his teammates returned home to a massive outdoor celebration where approximately 50,000 fans gathered to welcome Finland's players and coaches.
There were live musical performances by a few of the country's top recording artists and traffic around the city was reportedly at a standstill as people tried to make their way to the park.
“It’s a really, really big thing for Finnish people,” Jokiharju, a defenseman for the Buffalo Sabres, said recently.
This time, the party could last 16 days. Jokiharju will play for Finland again when the country hosts the IIHF World Championship, beginning Friday and ending with the gold-medal game May 29. His hometown, Tampere, is one of two host cities, along with Helsinki.
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Jokiharju won’t be the only representative from the Sabres, either. The tournament will also feature defenseman Rasmus Dahlin (Sweden), winger Rasmus Asplund (Sweden), center Dylan Cozens (Canada) and winger John Hayden (United States). Sabres coach Don Granato is an assistant coach for Team USA.
NHL Network will broadcast some games, beginning Friday with the United States versus Latvia at 9 a.m., followed by Canada versus Germany at 1 p.m.
“I don’t take it as pressure,” said Jokiharju, who also won gold with Finland at world juniors in 2019. “I take it as excitement, being a hometown kid and playing in that kind of tournament. It will definitely be huge, for sure.”
Jokiharju has grown into a more complete defenseman since he last represented Finland on the international stage. He averaged a career-high 21:53 of ice time in 60 games with the Sabres this season, often skating on the top pair alongside Dahlin.
When Owen Power was preparing to join the Sabres, Jokiharju lobbied to be the 2021 No. 1 draft choice’s first defense partner in the NHL. Buffalo had 56.52% of the 5-on-5 shot attempts when Power and Jokiharju were on the ice together, according to NaturalStatTrick.com.
Jokiharju finished second on the team in penalty-kill ice time and quarterbacked the second power-play unit late in the season.
Cozens, meanwhile, will represent Canada on the international stage for the first time since the IIHF World Junior Championship, when he was a co-captain for the team on its run to the silver medal in January 2021. He had 16 points in seven games at the tournament, which occurred before he joined the Sabres. Cozens, 21, had a goal in a pre-tournament exhibition for Canada on Wednesday. He had 13 goals and 38 points in his first 82-game NHL season.
This will be Dahlin’s first international tournament since his selection first overall by the Sabres at the 2018 draft. He previously played in the Winter Olympics and world juniors, among other events. And Sweden will see a different Dahlin than the last time he represented the country. He had a breakthrough fourth season in the NHL, finishing with career highs in goals (13), assists (40), points (53) and average ice time per game (24:01).
Dahlin, 22, skated on the Sabres’ top defense pair and played against top lines. He added penalty-killing to his long list of responsibilities. There was also personal growth on and off the ice, as he became an alternate captain.
“I feel like a different person right now,” he said following the season. “It’s been a fun ride, for sure.”
Sweden, which opens the tournament Saturday against Austria, won’t have Victor Olofsson, who is a restricted free agent. But Asplund will be an important do-it-all forward during the country’s quest for gold. Asplund, 24, had eight goals and 27 points in 80 games, but the stat line doesn’t properly illustrate his impact. He rated as one of the best defensive forwards in the NHL, according to Evolving-Hockey.com.
Hayden, a pending unrestricted free agent, appeared in 55 games with the Sabres in a checking-line role. He played at the USA Hockey National Team Development Program and represented Team USA at world juniors in 2014-15.
While each has an opportunity to use this tournament to prepare for next season – Tage Thompson gained confidence representing Team USA at the IIHF World Championship last year – this is particularly special for Jokiharju. And he hopes that playoff runs for the Sabres prevent him from competing in future tournaments.
“I hope it’s a once-in-a-lifetime moment,” he said.
Gaining strength
The Rochester Americans received optimistic news Thursday with defenseman Mattias Samuelsson getting through practice without any issues. Samuelsson, 22, hasn’t appeared in the playoffs because of a lower-body injury. His status for the weekend will be determined following practice Friday.
The Amerks trail the second-round series 1-0 and travel to Utica for Game 2, which is scheduled for Saturday at 7 p.m. Rochester hosts Utica for Game 3 on Sunday at 5:05 p.m.
Defenseman Brandon Davidson is “probable” to play this weekend, according to coach Seth Appert, but winger Linus Weissbach (upper-body injury) remains out.
Breaking through
Jack Quinn knew there would be less time and space in the Calder Cup Playoffs, and he’s determined to find a way to break through. Quinn, the AHL’s rookie of the year, has zero goals through three playoff games for Rochester. He’s been credited with eight shots on goal during that span, at least two of which were prime scoring opportunities.
Opponents have done everything possible to slow down Quinn. Belleville used enforcer Scott Sabourin and winger Egor Sokolov to antagonize Quinn. Utica is keying on Quinn defensively. Quinn acknowledged there’s frustration. But he knows it is part of adjusting to playoff hockey and that he’s more than capable. Quinn, after all, had 26 goals and 61 points in 45 regular-season games.
“You obviously are assuming it’s going to be ramped up and it’s going to be more intense, but you don’t really know what it’s going to be like until you go through it, and this is my first time going through it in pro,” said Quinn, 20. “I’m feeling it out as I go, not in a sense of the way I play but just in the sense of gaining experience with it.”
