We are only one day into the IIHF U20 World Junior Championships, but man, does it ever feel good to have hockey back. Just a handful of games have been played and teams are still attempting to establish some chemistry, but for some clubs, such as Finland and Russia, the chemistry seems to have come a little quicker, which is great news for the six Toronto Maple Leafs prospects who are split evenly among the two teams.
Finland took on a sparse Team Germany, after a COVID-19 outbreak has decimated the German roster. The club was able to ice just 9 forwards and 5 defensemen for the affair, with most of the offensive responsibility falling on 2020 3rd overall pick Tim Stuetzle and 2020 2nd-rounder J.J. Peterka, who both performed amicably in the contest.
Leafs 2nd round pick Roni Hirvonen missed the majority of the first period after a nasty hit from behind earned him 2+10, but he still managed a pretty slick secondary assist, starting a play that ended up on captain Anton Lundell's stick at the side of the net for the game's first goal.
2019 3rd-rounder Mikko Kokkonen is not one of the Leafs' flashier prospects, but the left-shooting defenseman does all the little things right. On Christmas Day, however, he did throw a puck hard at the net, which saw the biscuit ricochet off of a couple of bodies and find it's way into the German goal, earning him an assist on the play.
Though Hirvonen and Kokkonen each made their present felt, it was the 64th overall pick in 2020, Topi Niemela who really shined out of the trio of Leafs prospects for Finland. Niemela showed great poise, good speed, stellar on-ice vision and was rewarded for his efforts with a goal and an assist in the contest. The 18-year-old right-shooting defenseman is looking like a very solid addition to the Leafs' stable of prospects.
Meanwhile, in the Russian locker room, coach Igor Larionov made the controversial decision to remove 19-year-old center Mikhail Abramov from Russia's lineup ahead of Friday's meeting with Team USA, despite Abramov being one of the more competitive players against Canada in the exhibition round. Abramov, a 4th round pick by the Leafs in 2019, was rumored to have been considered the extra forward for Russia coming into the tournament.
Another Leafs prospect who may not see much action in the tournament is fellow 4th-rounder Artur Akhtyamov. The 19-year-old netminder was drafted with the 106th pick in this year's draft, but is playing behind an absolute stallion in 2020 1st-rounder Yaroslav Askarov (NSH).
The one Leafs prospect that many had their eye on coming into the tournament was Russian winger Rodion Amirov, the 15th overall pick in the 2020 draft, and Amirov did not disappoint on opening night. The 19-year-old showcased his quick stick and strong hockey IQ on many occasions throughout the contest, repeatedly stripping the puck from the opposition, leading to dangerous counter attacks and offensive opportunities. Though he did not fire any pucks in the net, Amirov was able to feed Columbus Blue Jackets prospect Yegor Chinakhov, who potted the empty-netter for the game-sealing 5-3 goal, registering an assist on the evening and his first point of the tournament.
All things considered, it was a productive night for the Maple Leafs prospects. Here's hoping these kids can keep producing at or above the same rate throughout the tournament. Just, maybe not against Team Canada 😋.
