ZÜRICH. In the late evening match on Friday against Great Britain, Finland’s most followed figure was Konsta Helenius, who played his first match in the tournament. The young superstar of the Buffalo Sabres was placed in the first line with Aleksander Barkov and Mikael Granlund.

– It may not have been a great game, but it was known that the games would get tougher. There were many chances, we spent a lot of time in their zone, and the goals were a bit lacking, but we’ll save those goals for the tougher games, Helenius said after the match.

Playing alongside two NHL stars in the first line was very enjoyable for the young forward.

– It was fun. Both are skilled players, so it was easy to fit in. There were a lot of chances. Hopefully, more will go in in the next games.

The head coach of the Lions, Antti Pennanen, was very pleased with Helenius’s first performance.

– Really good today. He came in well. Fast, skilled, good game sense, and defended well in the moments when he needed to defend, Pennanen assessed.

LUE MYÖS:

Read more