Finnish team for Sochi Olympics

[drummond]

Goal:
Tuukka Rask (Boston)
Kari Lehtonen (Dallas, NHL)
Antti Niemi (San Jose, NHL)

Defense:
Olli Maatta (Pittsburgh, NHL)
Sami Salo (Tampa Bay, NHL)
Kimmo Timonen (Philadelphia, NHL)
Sami Vatanen (Anaheim, NHL)
Juuso Hietanen (Nizhny Novgorod, KHL)
Sami Lepisto (Yekaterinburg, KHL)
Lasse Kukkonen (Oulu, Finland)
Ossi Vaananen (Jokerit, Finland)

Forwards:
Aleksander Barkov (Florida, NHL)
Valtteri Filppula (Tampa Bay, NHL)
Mikael Granlund, Mikko Koivu (Minnesota, NHL)
Jussi Jokinen (Pittsburgh, NHL)
Olli Jokinen (Winnipeg, NHL)
Lauri Korpikoski (Phoenix, NHL)
Antti Pihlstrom, Tuomo Ruutu (Carolina, NHL)
Teemu Selanne (Anaheim, NHL)
Juhamatti Aaltonen (Rogle, Sweden Eliteserien)
Leo Komarov (Dynamo Moscow, KHL)
Petri Kontiola (Chelyabinsk, KHL),
Jori Lehtera (Novosibirsk, KHL)


No big surprises here. Their strenght is obviously in goal. Good to see Leo Komarov making the team. That was - I believe - the reason for him coming back to KHL. Once this accomplished, he could come back to the Leafs, right?

 

[CarltonTheBear]

No big surprises here. Their strenght is obviously in goal. Good to see Leo Komarov making the team. That was - I believe - the reason for him coming back to KHL. Once this accomplished, he could come back to the Leafs, right?

He was named captain too, which is pretty surprising to me. But I do believe he's been a very loyal player to the Finnish team and has competed in multiple World Championships. I figured Timonen might get the nod but maybe they preferred to go for someone outside the NHL as there's quite a few non-NHLers on the team.

I don't think we'll see Komarov immediately after the Olympics if that's what you're asking. There's no way he leaves Dynamo before their season is complete, if that's even allowed. So the earliest would probably be just before the NHL playoffs.

 

[Peter D.]

No Saku Koivu surprises me.  A chance for him to play with his brother and best friend Selanne one more time on the biggest international stage.

 

[CarltonTheBear]

No Saku Koivu surprises me.  A chance for him to play with his brother and best friend Selanne one more time on the biggest international stage.

Apparently he was told he would be on the team but withdrew because he wasn't happy where his game was at. He suffered a concussion earlier in the season. Tough break for him. He's an easy guy to cheer for.

 

[CarltonTheBear]

Also drummond you're missing a couple NHLers on your list. Tuomo Ruutu and Mikko Koivu. Koivu's out for about a month with an ankle injury so who knows if he'll be able to actually play.

 

[drummond]

No big surprises here. Their strenght is obviously in goal. Good to see Leo Komarov making the team. That was - I believe - the reason for him coming back to KHL. Once this accomplished, he could come back to the Leafs, right?

He was named captain too, which is pretty surprising to me. But I do believe he's been a very loyal player to the Finnish team and has competed in multiple World Championships. I figured Timonen might get the nod but maybe they preferred to go for someone outside the NHL as there's quite a few non-NHLers on the team.

I don't think we'll see Komarov immediately after the Olympics if that's what you're asking. There's no way he leaves Dynamo before their season is complete, if that's even allowed. So the earliest would probably be just before the NHL playoffs.

I did not mean right after the Olympics, hopefully Nonis at least tries to offer him a contract. If Komarov chooses otherwise, that?s another thing.

 

[Deebo]

This is Teemu's 6th Olympics ('92, '98, '02, '06, '10, '14)

He has 20G+17A for 37P in 31GP in his previous 5 appearances.

 

[Tigger]

I don't think we'll see Komarov immediately after the Olympics if that's what you're asking. There's no way he leaves Dynamo before their season is complete, if that's even allowed. So the earliest would probably be just before the NHL playoffs.

Didn't he have to be signed by a certain date already to play this year or was qualifying him enough?