Winnipeg Jets: Watch Heinola and Nikkanen in Exhibition Game Tonight
Two Winnipeg Jets prospects will be playing in a World Junior Championship exhibition game tonight as Finland takes on the Czech Republic.
Tonight is a great opportunity for Winnipeg Jets fans to turn on their televisions and tune in to watch two of the Winnipeg Jets’ top prospects, Ville Heinola and Henri Nikkanen, for the first time this year when Finland faces off against the Czech Republic at 9:30 p.m. EST (8:30 CST) in a pre-tournament game.
For most people, this will be your first time watching Heinola play since last year’s edition of the WJC and it may be your first time seeing Nikkanen in action unless you are able to watch Liiga games.
Before this tournament, both players were applying their trade for teams that play in Liiga, which is the top hockey division in Finland. Heinola was loaned from the Jets to Lukko and was performing well in early season play. He had one goal, 13 assists, and a +10 plus/minus in 19 games.
On the other hand, Henri Nikkanen was playing in his first full campaign with the senior team of Jukurit. Last year he split his time between Jukurit’s senior club and under-twenty team. So far in the 2020-2021 season, the nineteen-year-old has two goals and five assists. His worst stat is his plus/minus, where he has a minus-ten.
Both Heinola and Nikkanen were drafted in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft by the Jets. The Jets selected Heinola in the first round and in the fourth round they drafted Nikkanen.
The Jets signed Heinola right after the draft and he appeared in eight games for Winnipeg in 2019-2020. He showed glimpses of brilliance while playing in the NHL and is someone who has the potential to be a top-pair defenseman in the league.
Nikkanen is still unsigned by the Jets and many people are still unfamiliar with the six-foot-four forward. This tournament will be the perfect opportunity for Nikkanen to show the Jets management and coaching staff what he’s got and Winnipeg fans should keep a close eye on him.
This game should be a fun one to watch and a good preview of what we may see when the prestigious tournament starts on Christmas Day.
Finland will play their final tune-up game on Tuesday night against the United States at 5 p.m. CST. Then on Christmas night, Finland’s first game of the tournament is against Germany.
Where to Catch the Game
Canadian Viewers: TSN3
American Viewers: NHL Network
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*All Stats Provided by Elite Prospects*