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The Toronto Maple Leafs could have as many as seven prospects participating in the 2021 IIHF World Junior Championships in Edmonton and Red Deer, Alberta, as three youngsters were selected for the preliminary roster for Team Finland on Friday.
Center Roni Hirvonen, defensemen Topi Niemela and Mikko Kokkonen join Russian winger Rodion Amirov, goalie Artur Akhtyamov, center Mikhail Abramov and winger Nick Robertson of Team USA, representing Toronto’s top four picks from the 2020 Draft and top three picks from the 2019 Draft.
Roni Hirvonen (TOR) gets a primary assist on à„ssà¤t's opening goal of the game. Hirvonen is now up to five goals and nine points in 19 games this season. #Leafs pic.twitter.com/V6396fNTMu
— Lassi Alanen (@lassialanen) November 27, 2020
Hirvonen, 18, has 5 goals, 4 assists in 21 games for Assat-Pori in the Finnish SM-Liiga, while Niemela has three assists in nine games with Karpat. Kokkonen, 19, has three assists in 18 games for Jukurit Mikkeli and is likely a shoo-in to make the squad after playing for Finland in the 2020 WJC in the Czech Republic last December as an 18-year-old.
Indications earlier this week from Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston reported that Robertson might not be made available to Team USA as 2019 top overall pick Jack Hughes, but with the indications that January 15th is the earliest the 2021 regular season will start, the odds are increasing that the Leafs top prospect will be released to play in the tournament.
Really good read by Topi Niemela coming from the weak side on the rush to get into the middle of the ice and disrupt the pass with a solid poke check #Leafs pic.twitter.com/SaiRn4GVN8
— Nick Richard (@_NickRichard) November 30, 2020
The World Junior begins on Christmas Day and lasts until January 5.
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