Finland Names Injury Replacements for 4 Nations Face-Off

Finland has named two injury replacements for the 4 Nations Face-Off.

Oct 10, 2024; Buffalo, New York, USA; Buffalo Sabres defenseman Henri Jokiharju (10) and Los Angeles Kings center Anze Kopitar (11) go after a loose puck during the first period at KeyBank Center. Mandatory Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Images / Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Images

After a pair of injuries forced Finland to shift course on their defense for the 4 Nations Face-Off, the team has named a pair of injury replacements. Finland named New York Rangers defender Urho Vaakanainen and Buffalo Sabres blue liner Henri Jokiharju to their roster.

The Sabres and Rangers defenders take the spots of two previously injured defensemen: Miro Heiskanen of the Dallas Stars and Jani Hakanpaa of the Toronto Maple Leafs. The decision comes just a few weeks before the tournament is set to begin in Ottawa and Montreal.

Henri Jokiharju and Urho Vaakainen have been added to Finland's 4 Nations Face-Off team as injury replacements. They take the spots vacated by Miro Heiskanen and Jani Hakanpää.

— Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) February 2, 2025

The inclusion of Jokiharju was expected after the injuries popped up. If anything, Finland adding him should've happened when they announced the initial rosters. The Sabres' puck-mover is an excellent skater and can handle the power play. With the team's top defender Heiskanen out, the team needs another offensively-minded defenseman and Jokiharju fits the bill. He's not as productive or creative as Heiskanen, but he can give them 15-20 minutes of reliable ice-time.

Vaakanainen has been playing noticeably improved hockey since joining the Rangers. Acquired as a piece of the Jacob Trouba trade with the Anaheim Ducks, the 26-year-old went from healthy scratch in Anaheim to top-six defender in New York. He's played 21 games in a Rangers uniform and is averaging over 15 minutes of ice-time per game with five assists as well. The 6'2, 200-pound blue liner is less physical than Hakanpaa, but he's a more mobile option than him, which could help the Finns in this high-paced tournament.

The pool of players for Finland to draw from was very thin. There are only 11 NHL defenders to choose from and only seven of them have more than 300 games of experience. While these two replacements might not impose fear, they are the best that the country has to offer as the 4 Nations Face-Off draws nearer.

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