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Tag: Hakanpaa
Finland rules out Jani Hakanpää for the NHL’s 4 Nations Face-Off
Finland ruled out Jani Hakanpaa for the 4 Nations Face-Off, making management find replacements for two injured defensemen.
The Finnish Ice Hockey Federation confirmed Saturday that Hakanpää will not play in the NHL-run tournament later this month in Montreal and Boston. Hakanpää has appeared in only two games this season for Toronto and none since mid-November because of a lower-body injury.
Miro Heiskanen would have been Finland’s No. 1 defenseman, but he was injured on a hit by Mark Stone in Dallas’ game against Vegas on Tuesday night. The Stars listed Heiskanen as week to week with a lower-body injury, and Finland acknowledged he won’t be playing 4 Nations.
“He’s that type of player that any team in the world would love to have,” captain Aleksander Barkov said Thursday of Heiskanen. “He is a leader defensively and really good offensively, so he’s a huge part of Team Finland’s success. … All the best and try and get back as soon as possible and as healthy as possible. Health is the most important thing.”
General manager Jere Lehtinen, who built Finland’s roster that won Olympic gold in Beijing in 2022 when the NHL pulled out late because of pandemic-related scheduling reasons, said replacements would be named next week for Heiskanen and Hakanpää. There are only four eligible players to choose from for the two spots; only 11 Finnish defensemen have played in the league this season.
Buffalo’s Henri Jokiharju, Ottawa’s Nikolas Matinpalo, Winnipeg’s Ville Heinola and the New York Rangers‘ Urho Vaakanainen are the possible replacements. Jokiharju and Vaakanainen, who was traded from Anaheim to New York in December, have the most professional experience of the four.
Finland opens Feb. 13 against the U.S., plays rival Sweden on Feb. 15 and finishes round-robin play Feb. 17 against Canada.
Sweden also has a few injury situations to monitor. Vegas’ William Karlsson and Minnesota’s Jonas Brodin remain out, and Boston’s Hampus Lindholm is close to returning from his absence. Canada must still name a replacement for two-time Stanley Cup champion and 2014 Olympic gold medalist Alex Pietrangelo, who withdrew “to tend to an ailment and prepare for the remainder of the regular season,” the Golden Knights said.
Finland has announced that defenseman Jani Hakanpää will not be participating in the NHL’s upcoming 4 Nations Face-Off tournament. This decision comes as a surprise to many, as Hakanpää has been a key player for Finland in international competitions in the past.While the exact reason for Hakanpää’s exclusion from the tournament has not been disclosed, it is likely that the Finnish coaching staff is looking to give other players an opportunity to showcase their skills on the international stage. Hakanpää’s absence will certainly be felt, as he is known for his physical play and defensive prowess.
Despite this setback, Finland remains a strong contender in the 4 Nations Face-Off tournament, which will feature teams from Sweden, Russia, and the Czech Republic. With a talented roster of players, Finland will look to make a strong showing and compete for the championship title.
Fans of Finnish hockey will surely miss seeing Hakanpää on the ice, but they can still look forward to an exciting tournament and the chance to cheer on their national team as they face off against some of the top hockey nations in the world.
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Finland, Jani Hakanpää, NHL, 4 Nations Face-Off, hockey, international competition, Finnish hockey player, national team, sports news
#Finland #rules #Jani #Hakanpää #NHLs #Nations #FaceOffFinland’s Jani Hakanpaa pulls out of 4 Nations Face-Off due to injury
Team Finland’s blue line just took another hit.
The 32-year-old was set to represent Finland in less than two weeks at the inaugural best-on-best event but nagging knee problems have taken that opportunity away.
Hakanpaa has missed all but two games this season because of his injury and on Friday head coach Craig Berube made it clear that a return for the D-man in the coming days was already less than likely.
“Really, I don’t have a timeline for him. I really, I don’t,” Berube said when asked about Hakanpaa’s status, who hasn’t played since Nov. 16.
The 6-foot-6 defenceman signed with the Maple Leafs in September on a one-year, $1.47 million deal after three seasons with the Dallas Stars. He was originally drafted by the Anaheim Ducks in the fourth round of the 2010 Entry Draft. The Ducks traded Hakanpaa mid-way through his sophomore season and then he signed with Dallas that summer.
Hakanpaa has 45 points through 290 NHL games (15 goals, 30 assists).
His absence will be felt by Finland who are already down Hakanpaa’s former Stars’ teammate Miro Heiskanen. The defenceman is currently week-to-week with a lower-body injury due to an on-ice collision against the Vegas Golden Knights on Tuesday. He then pulled out from the tournament two days later.
The 4 Nations tournament runs Feb. 12-20 in Montreal and Boston. It’s the first international best-on-best tournament in nearly a decade.
Finnish defenseman Jani Hakanpaa has been forced to withdraw from the upcoming 4 Nations Face-Off tournament due to injury. Hakanpaa, who plays for the Anaheim Ducks in the NHL, was set to represent Finland in the international competition but will now have to sit out.The 29-year-old defenseman has been a key player for the Ducks this season, averaging over 18 minutes of ice time per game. His absence will surely be felt by the Finnish national team, as they look to compete against other top hockey nations in the tournament.
Hakanpaa’s injury is a blow to both his club team and his country, but hopefully, he will be able to recover quickly and get back on the ice soon. In the meantime, Finland will have to look to other players to step up and fill the void left by his absence in the 4 Nations Face-Off.
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Finland, Jani Hakanpaa, 4 Nations Face-Off, injury, hockey, international tournament, Finland national team, sports news
#Finlands #Jani #Hakanpaa #pulls #Nations #FaceOff #due #injury‘I Don’t Have A Timeline’: Jani Hakanpaa Will Not Play For Finland At 4 Nations Sparking More Questions About His NHL Future
Jani Hakanpaa won’t suit up for Team Finland at the 4 Nations Face-Off due to an injury, the Toronto Maple Leafs announced on Saturday.
Maple Leafs D Jani Hakanpää will not participate in the upcoming Four Nations Face-Off due to injury.
— Leafs PR (@LeafsPR) February 1, 2025
The 32-year-old defenseman hasn’t appeared in a game since Nov. 16 against the Edmonton Oilers. Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube said on Dec. 5 that Hakanpaa had a procedure done “to help himself out a little bit.”
Hakanpaa has participated in a majority of Toronto’s practices within the last month, but when he could return to the lineup has been a mystery. The Maple Leafs have a four-game Western Canada (and Seattle) road trip before the 4 Nations tournament begins.
The defenseman, however, didn’t make the trip with the team to Edmonton earlier this week.
“He’s back in Toronto, skating and doing things there,” Berube said “Really, I don’t have a timeline for him. Really, I don’t.”
Hakanpaa has played two games for the Maple Leafs this season. He didn’t register a point while averaging 14:05 of ice time in that span. The two games he appeared in were three days apart.
The defenseman returned to practice after his second knee procedure on Jan. 13. He explained his excitement about possibly suiting up for Team Finland at the 4 Nations.
“Hopefully, we get there (ready to play) before the 4 Nations,” he said.
The Maple Leafs signed the veteran defenseman to a one-year, $1.47 million contract on Sept. 11, after a summer filled with questions about where he’d join the team. It was reported that Hakanpaa signed a longer deal earlier in the summer, however, that never came to fruition.
Finland will now need to search for two defensemen for their 4 Nations squad. Dallas Stars defender Miro Heiskanen will also be forced to miss the tournament after suffering a knee injury against the Vegas Golden Knights on Jan. 29.
Hakanpaa was placed on the Maple Leafs’ long-term injured reserve list on Dec. 31.
The defenseman has 15 goals and 30 assists in 290 games, split between the Anaheim Ducks, Carolina Hurricanes, Stars, and Maple Leafs.
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The hockey world was buzzing with speculation after defenseman Jani Hakanpaa announced that he would not be joining Team Finland at the upcoming 4 Nations tournament. Hakanpaa, who has been a key player for the Finnish national team in the past, cited personal reasons for his decision to sit out the tournament.Many fans and analysts were quick to jump to conclusions about Hakanpaa’s future in the NHL, with some speculating that he may be considering retirement or a return to Europe. However, Hakanpaa himself has been adamant that he does not have a timeline for his decision and is simply taking things one day at a time.
While it’s certainly possible that Hakanpaa’s absence from the 4 Nations tournament could be a sign of bigger changes to come, it’s important not to jump to conclusions. Hakanpaa has proven himself to be a reliable and talented player in the NHL, and whatever decision he ultimately makes about his future will surely be well-considered.
In the meantime, fans will have to wait and see what the future holds for Jani Hakanpaa. One thing is for certain: his absence from the 4 Nations tournament has only sparked more questions about his NHL future.
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Jani Hakanpaa, Finland, NHL, 4 Nations, hockey, sports, timeline, future, questions, player, international tournament, decision, speculation, career
#Dont #Timeline #Jani #Hakanpaa #Play #Finland #Nations #Sparking #Questions #NHL #FutureToronto Maple Leafs defenceman Jani Hakanpaa ruled out of 4 Nations with injury
Toronto Maple Leafs defenceman Jani Hakanpaa will not participate in the upcoming 4 Nations Face-Off for Finland due to injury.
Hakanpaa has skated in just two games for the Maple Leafs this season due to knee issues and has not played since mid-November.
The 32-year-old averaged 14:05 minutes of ice time and had two shots on goal, four blocked shots and one hit during those two contests.
In early December, Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube said that Hakanpaa had a “little procedure” done on his knee. Hakanpaa had undergone season-ending knee surgery last March as a member of the Dallas Stars.
More woes on blueline for Finland
Finland will need to add two replacements to its roster with Stars defenceman Miro Heiskanen, who was injured on Tuesday night against the Vegas Golden Knights, also ruled out as he is week to week with a lower-body injury.
TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun wrote in The Athletic on Friday that while Heiskanen is off to see a specialist in New York on Monday for his lower-body injury, Stars general manager Jim Nill told LeBrun the team feels there’s a good chance the defenceman returns before the start of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
“We’re pretty optimistic,” Nill said Friday. “He had an MRI done, he saw our team doctor, he’s going to go see a specialist in New York on Monday. And we’ll get a better feel for things.”
The Toronto Maple Leafs’ defenceman Jani Hakanpaa has been ruled out of the upcoming 4 Nations tournament due to injury. Hakanpaa, who was set to represent Finland in the international competition, suffered the injury during a recent game with the Maple Leafs. The team has not disclosed the specific nature of Hakanpaa’s injury or the expected timeline for his return to play. We wish him a speedy recovery and hope to see him back on the ice soon.
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Toronto Maple Leafs, Jani Hakanpaa, injury, 4 Nations, hockey, NHL, defenseman, Toronto sports, sports news
#Toronto #Maple #Leafs #defenceman #Jani #Hakanpaa #ruled #Nations #injury
