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The 4 Nations Faceoff is on the horizon. Team USA announced their roster on Wednesday evening, followed by Team Canada's roster announcement shortly after that. As a result, all of the rosters have been announced. Team Finland has an interesting roster in its own right with surprises and snubs abound.
Team Finland had a difficult challenge ahead of them. Suomi had the smallest pool of players to choose from for this tournament. This certainly cuts down on tough roster decisions. But it also makes each decision that much more important in the same vein.
The Finnish are bringing some of the game's brightest stars to the 4 Nations Faceoff. Florida Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov and Carolina Hurricanes star Sebastian Aho, for instance, are some of the best players in the entire NHL.
However, there were some snubs from this roster. Even with Team Finland having the smallest player pool, some players were bound to be surprisingly left out. With this in mind, here are the two biggest Team Finland snubs from its 4 Nations Faceoff roster.
Sabres' Henri Jokiharju earned a role
One notable name left off Team Finland is Buffalo Sabres defenseman Henri Jokiharju. Jokiharju is a 25-year-old rearguard who has emerged as a potential trade candidate for the Sabres. He has earned the trust of Buffalo's coaching staff in recent years, regularly facing the best opposing teams have to offer.
The Finnish blueline is certainly a talented one. However, Jokiharju matches up with and may even be a better option than some of the chosen names. One intriguing inclusion is Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Jani Hakanpaa. Hakanpaa has struggled with injuries this year and was recently placed on injured reserve.
However, Jokiharju is a consistent top-four defender and would hold that role on many teams. He is a regular contributor, as well, having skated in 19 games for Buffalo this year. His ice time is slightly down from 2023-24, but the Sabres rearguard remains a quality option.
Hakanpaa is a veteran option, which may have given him an edge. He also has experience with Dallas Stars defender Esa Lindell, who also made the team. In any event, leaving Henri Jokiharju off Team Finland could hurt the squad once the 4 Nations Faceoff begins in February.
Hurricanes' Jesperi Kotkaniemi could have had a spot
The Carolina Hurricanes are off to a fantastic start in 2024-25. Sebastian Aho has certainly played a major role in Carolina's early success. As a result, his place on Team Finland is more than earned. However, his Hurricanes teammate Jesperi Kotkaniemi also had a very solid case to make the team.
Kotkaniemi has had a solid start to the season, scoring three goals and 13 points in 25 games. He has a 57.22% Goals For Percentage at all strengths, according to Evolving Hockey. Furthermore, his xGF% is 60.12%. Kotkaniemi also has 4.2 Goals For Per 60 Minutes at all strengths.
These certainly aren't world-beating numbers by any means. However, they are better numbers than some of the names Team Finland selected for its 4 Nations Faceoff roster. In fact, Kotkaniemi is top-10 in points scored among Finnish players in the NHL this year, according to The Athletic.
Suomi could struggle to score at the 4 Nations Faceoff in February. Kotkaniemi has not proven to be a goal scorer, to be fair. In any event, he could have added another element to the team's offense that may help alleviate those offensive concerns at the tournament.
