Perspective: There are no breakthrough players in the league's super season

The league’s super season has now seen each team play between 12 and 16 games, depending on the team. The other special helmet of the league, in addition to the gold helmets, belongs to the most effective U20 player of each team (Red Bull Breakthrough helmet).

However, breakthrough helmets are only seen in some of the teams’ games, as not all teams have any players under 20 years old in their lineup. Even if a breakthrough player is in the lineup, only nine U20 players have managed to score points this season.

The U20 scoring leaderboard is led by Tappara’s Oliver Suvanto, who has scored 10 points (3+7) in 15 games. Second is TPS’s Jeremi Virtanen with six points (5+1), and third is HIFK’s Jere Somervuori with three points (0+3).

Six other U20 players who have managed to score points have all made one point each.

Among the best scorers under 20, Suvanto and Somervuori established their roles last season. However, Suvanto is breaking through definitively this season. He is already one point away from last season’s total.

The stakes of the super season inevitably affect the deployment of young players. As the stakes rise, teams increasingly rely on experienced and established players instead of young ones. This phenomenon is also visible amid injuries. Instead of giving opportunities to their own juniors, clubs often fill their lineups by acquiring players from elsewhere.

Looking at the league’s scoring leaderboard, young players are few and far between. Ässät’s Sakari Kostilainen, who impressed in last year’s playoffs, has started the season strongly. The 19-year-old Kostilainen has made 12 points (4+8) in 15 games. However, he is not counted among breakthrough players, as he was born in 2006 and will turn 20 in December.

However, there are several established players in the league who are 22 years old or younger. Among them are Roope Vesterinen, Jere Lassila, Emil Kuusla, and Santeri Huovila. All of the aforementioned have already made their “breakthroughs” in previous seasons.

The league’s super season does a lot of good for Finnish ice hockey, but it may take away the opportunity for future prospects to take their first steps in the league.