Finland’s hockey men are getting a heavy reinforcement ahead of the WC tournament in Tampere. Patrik Laine has announced that he will end the season with national team games.
The national team’s general manager Jere Lehtinen is satisfied.
– It’s nice to have Laine along. This is a unique opportunity to play the WC in his hometown, says Lehtinen on the hockey association’s website.
Laine has played for the national team in two major tournaments: the Hockey World Cup in the spring of 2016 and the World Cup in the fall of 2016. Shortly after the World Cup tournament, Laine debuted in the NHL.
The 2022–23 season was the Finn’s seventh in North America and in 55 games Laine was recorded for 22+30=52 points. At the end of the regular season, the Columbus Blue Jackets forward was injured and he last played a game on March 21.
Reinforcements from North America
Klara
Kasperi Kapanen, anfallare, St. Louis
Patrik Laine, forward, Columbus
Sakari Manninen, forward, Henderson (AHL)
Olli Määttä, back, Detroit
Written off
Rasmus Ristolainen, back, Buffalo
Juuse Saros, goalkeeper, Nashville
Detroit goalkeeper Ville Husso have announced that he hardly connects.
Laine joins the team ahead of the EHT tournament which will be played in the Czech Republic on May 4-7. The WC starts on May 12.
It is Latvia (Riga) and Finland (Tamperfors) that share the organising. For the entire tournament, Finland will be in Tampere, where the decisive matches will also be played.
