Showing posts with the label roni hirvonen
The Underrated Drafting by the Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs have been serious Stanley Cup contenders for the last few years. Being contenders comes with the price of not having high-end draft picks. However, the Leafs have done a good job of drafting prospects in the latter rounds of the draft. Roni Hirvonen: Hirvonen is a player that was selected 59th overall by the Maple Leafs during the 2020 NHL Entry Draft. Hirvonen is regarded as a high-end prospect that has excelled at every junior level he has played at. Most recently, the forward represented Team Finland at the 2022 IIHF WJC, where he was named captain. The Leafs prospect played on the Finnish top line and recorded seven points in seven games. Hirvonen is currently playing for HIFK Helsinki of the Finnish Liiga, although he is under contract with the Maple Leafs. Last season with the Finnish squad, Hirvonen put up a solid 26 points in 46 games. The 59th overall pick is regarded as a high-end playmaker. He finds the seams to set up his teammates. He i
Previewing the 2022 IIHF WJC Gold Medal Game - Finland vs Canada
It all comes down to this, the most prolific game of a hockey player's junior career. Who will take home the gold medal? Team Finland comes into the game looking for a bounceback effort. They were defeated by Canada during the preliminary round, 6-3. Team Canada cruised through the preliminary round and will have their biggest test of the tournament today. Keys to Success: For Finland, they need to establish an early lead. Finland's top line of Aatu Raty, Joakim Kemell, and Roni Hirvonen have been carrying the load offensively. With an early lead, Finland's defensive strengths and shut a game down, like they did against Team Sweden yesterday. Finland defeated Sweden, 1-0, and limited the Swedes to just 23 shots. Canada will need to break down Finland's defensive core once again, like they did in the preliminary round. Canada's offensive core is made up of highly skilled players that pounce on mistakes. Finland's game revolves around possession. If Canada