Daniel Amoia
New Jersey Devils‘ forward Lenni Hameenaho played a sizeable role for the Finnish team that just won Gold at the IIHF World Championships. It was only Finland’s fifth world title in 87 years of their program.
He had eight points (3 G, 5 A) in 10 games — third on the entire team. And that was despite 15 of his teammates receiving more ice time on average.
The champions got a treatment akin to what a Stanley Cup champion squad would expect in the U.S. or Canada. First, the Finnish Air Force escorted the team from Zurich, Switzerland back home to the capital of Helsinki.
Then they were treated to a raucous parade in said capital, attended by over 80,000 people. Just look at these scenes:
The championship celebration was deemed “ikimuistoinen” — unforgettable — by Finnish outlet Yle.
For a 21-year-old who already showed he can hold his own at the NHL level, getting this type of big-game experience is super valuable. It can also help add to the drive of wanting to win a Stanley Cup one day and experience a similar triumph.
As it stands, the Devils won’t have a ton of wiggle room cap-wise in order to become contenders. The growth of a couple young players — namely Hameenaho and Arseny Gritsyuk — could be a huge X-factor as new general manager Sunny Mehta looks to right the ship.
Hameenaho still has two seasons left on his entry-level contract at $972,500 per year.
