With the IIHF World Juniors just around the corner, the various nations who are participating are starting to release their rosters. Yesterday, team Finland's roster was released, with two Leafs prospects making the team, much to the delight of Leafs fans, who will now have a trio of prospects to watch in the WJC tournament this summer.
Topi Niemela and Roni Hirovinen have made the team for the tournament in August. Both players are expected to have big roles in this tournament, coming off of great seasons for their respective teams in the Finnish SM-Liiga, Finland's top men's league.
Hirovinen is coming off a season that saw him put up 9 goals and 17 assists for a total of 26 points in 46 games. Hirovinen could find himself playing alongside Kasper Simontaival and Aatu Raty, which could result in the 20-year-old racking up some serious points in the tournament.
Niemela, 20, is the Buds' top defensive prospect and will likely become a top four defender for the team in the future. He dominated the World Juniors last year with 8 points in 7 games and was named Defenseman of the Tournament. He's coming off a season with Karpat that saw him post 38 points in 42 games, as one of the highest producing defenders in the league. Expect Niemela to play on the top pairing for Finland, potentially with Eemil Viro, and to be a one of the best players in the tournament once again.
