Ahead of the 2025 World Junior Summer Challenge in Minnesota, Team Finland is playing a mini home tournament that includes four teams: two from Finland (a Team-A and a Team-B), the Czech, and the Swiss National Junior Teams. The purpose of the tournament is to prepare players for the 2025 World Junior Summer Challenge and for Finland, also serves as a variation of a “tryout” to determine who will be going to Minnesota.
Per The Hockey News.com, Tampa Bay Lightning prospect, center Joona Saarelainen was named to the U’20 Tournament Squad Team-A for the home tournament. Team A is comprised of players who are 2025 World Junior returnees and players who are expected to make the 20216 roster.
Should Saarelainen make the official roster that heads to Minnesota, it would be his second time making the U-20 team. He was a part of Finland’s U-20 squad that in 2024-25 took silver at the WJC-20 tournament. He skated in seven games in that tournament, recording one assist for one point.
Saarelainen was drafted by the Lightning just ahead of that in the fifth round (149th overall pick) of the 2024 NHL draft out of Mikkeli, Finland.
The 19-year old is known for two-way capabilities, speed, and playmaking abilities. He can pass the puck well and carry it too. He is creative and sneaky with his hands and has a motor and the craft that allows him to win battles for the puck, which is something that stuck out to Tampa Bay when they drafted him.
Prior to being drafted, the 5’9”, 193lb lefty had shown great success in Finland’s U-20 league. In 43 games with the U-20 league he scored 13 goals and had 36 points.
After taking silver in the 2024 World Junior, the team from Finland will be on a mission to go on the attack for gold in 2025 when the tournament gets under way next week and after having a good performance in last year’s tournament, it’s likely Saarelainen’s time on ice will increase this year and that he could end up having a big impact on Finland’s tournament results.