Montreal Canadiens: Joni Ikonen Named to Team Finland’s World Junior Team
By Omar L
It’s that time of year where World Junior rosters are starting to get finalized, and the Montreal Canadiens will have Joni Ikonen representing them.
For many people, December means Christmas shopping and the end of another year. For hockey fans, December has the same significance, but it also marks the beginning of World Juniors talk. It’s an annual tradition that’s brought together fans nationally. Additionally, it’s a platform to see upcoming players in the draft or to track prospects already in a team’s system. We don’t know how the rosters are going to shake out, but we do know that the Montreal Canadiens will be represented by at least one player.
Team Finland released their 28 player roster, and prospect Joni Ikonen will be a part of it. The 2017 2nd round pick has had a hard time adjusting to the tougher competition since deciding not to return to Frölunda. It looked like KalPA (Liiga) was too difficult for him at first. Ikonen was getting his shots and his chances, but game after game he went without a point.
At the beginning of October, Ikonen finally saw his name on the scoreboard off an assist.
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However, he’s heated up quite a bit in his last couple games with three goals and an assist. The fact that he was able to stick with it and compete with men is telling of how special of a player he will be in the future for the Montreal Canadiens.
On the other hand, the other teams at the World Juniors should be worried. Ikonen has had experience playing for Finland in these kinds of tournaments after playing in the Summer Showcase in August.
The 18-year-old was one of Finland’s standouts and had a spectacular performance against Sweden where he scored a hat-trick. It looks like the sky is the limit for Ikonen, and we’ll get to see how well he’s improved first-hand at the end of December in Buffalo.
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Are you excited to see Ikonen at the World Juniors? Which other Montreal Canadiens prospects do you think will get named to a team? Let us know your thoughts down below.