Assuming the team selects him – and there isn’t much doubt about that – and he stays healthy, Juuse Saros will play for Finland at the IIHF World Championship for the first time since 2016.
According to Finnish news outlet Ilta-Sanomat, the 29-year-old goaltender confirmed his interest in playing this year after the Nashville Predators’ practise on Monday morning prior to the team’s road game against the Philadelphia Flyers.
“Yes, the World Championship is interesting,” Saros is quoted. “There has been time to think about it, and now that we’re not going to make the playoffs here, it would be nice to go to the World Championship.”
The Predators have been mathematically eliminated from playoff contention and the season as a whole has been a bitter disappointment, but that hasn’t been because of the play of Saros, who in 53 games has four shutouts, a goals-against average of 2.89 and a save percentage of .898.
“It’s always nice to be on the national team,” said Saros. “There are always a lot of familiar friends there, and goaltending coach Aki Näykki is a friend I know from the junior national teams. It’s always nice to work with him.”
Saros burst onto the international scene with a brilliant performance at the 2014 World Junior Championship in Malmö, Sweden, backstopping Finland to the gold medal and being named the tournament’s top goalie. That year would be the first of three straight that he would also be named to Finland’s senior World Championship team, but he’s never been a starter.
Oliver Kapanen Once Again Headlines Finnish Roster For Swedish Leg Of Euro Hockey TourWith two legs of the 2024-25 Euro Hockey Tour complete, the four teams – Czechia, Finland, Sweden and Switzerland – are back in action Feb. 6 to 9 for the Swedish Hockey Games. Most of the tournament will be held in Stockholm but the opening day will also feature a game between Switzerland and Finland in Langnau, Switzerland.
This February, he was a member of Finland’s team at the 4 Nations Face-Off, where he split the crease almost right down the middle with Kevin Lankinen of the Vancouver Canucks. Playing behind a depleted defense, the Finns finished fourth in the tournament.
Lankinen, Uho-Pekka Luukkonen of the Buffalo Sabres and Saros’ backup in Nashville, Justus Annunen, are among the other goalies that will probably be available for the Finns to choose from. Emil Larmi, Harri Säteri, Lassi Lehtinen, Oskari Salminen and Christian Heljanko have all played between the pipes for Finland in European tournaments this season and might also be considered.
This year's World Championship will be held May 9 to 26 in Stockholm, Sweden and Herning, Denmark.
