Rajaniemi was selected by the Islanders in the sixth round of this year’s NHL Draft and is one of eight defenders listed on the roster. He didn’t represent Finland at the World Juniors last year and he will still have another year of eligibility remaining for the tournament as well. Finland will open the tournament on Dec. 25 against Germany.
The other Islanders prospect who could still play in the tournament is Simon Holmstrom. Holmstrom is currently still with Sweden, who has not finalized their roster yet.
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Here’s today’s poll question (results and discussion will be posted in a future article):
Are you surprised that Matias Rajaniemi made Finland's final WJC roster?