Record Finnish debut! Current NHL star, but also a former Czech Extraliga scorer led the cannonade against the Brits

The debut of a future NHL star and a great performance of the current one were shown by the Finns during a clear victory against Great Britain. The game was also led by the former Czech league scorer, where he was still giving joy two years ago.

The clear demolition of Great Britain 8: 0 by the Finns had a hero with a past in the Czech Extraliga. In the 2021/2022 season Ahti Oksanen (49 points – 25+24), now the author of four assists, played for Hradec Králové. There was also a possible future NHL star.

Konsta Helenius celebrated his 18th birthday on Saturday and managed to add one assist to his tally in his World Championship debut. So the hot commodity of the upcoming NHL draft is still waiting for his first senior national team hit.

“I’ve been playing with him for a few weeks now. I have a feeling that he is getting better every day. He’s playing his own game,” the IIHF website quotes defenseman Oliver Kaski, who had two assists in the game, as saying about Helenius.

The first Finn to play in three championships in one season

Helenius thus became the first Finn ever to play in one season at the World Championships in the U18 and U20 categories, as well as in the senior team. He played on the same line as two NHL players, Mikael Granlund (San Jose) and Valtteri Puustinen (Pittsburgh).

The Penguins winger came up empty on points, but Granlund of San Jose excelled. The thirty-two-year-old forward registered four assists, as did the aforementioned Oksanen. Granlund is at least improving his overseas season in Prague, as he was last in the league with the Sharks.

“He was close to the net the whole game and had a couple of interesting stops. I think he played really well overall,” defenseman Juuso Riikola, who defended Pittsburgh in the NHL two years ago, said of Kapanen’s performance.

With the unanimous triumph , the Finns added the mandatory three points to the championship table after the opening loss to the Czech Republic (1:0 after a shootout). Their next game is on Monday against Norway. The Brits face Switzerland on Wednesday.

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