| Konsta Helenius | Jukurit | Liiga | R | C | 5’11” | 180 | Ylojarvi, FIN | 2006 | 2023-2024: A |
Game Grade: B
Comments: Helenius plays his best hockey when he is playing at a high pace. The problem is he doesn’t seem to be able to keep his motor at that high level consistently. With that being said, he had a much better game today than he has had this whole tournament. He was good in transition, securing multiple zone entries with possession. He had some trouble controlling the puck under pressure, fumbling it often and he was unable to make it past defenders while on the rush. When he has speed, he has soft hands which he is able to slip around opponents with and cut quickly into space. He attempted a drag and shoot move on the rush in the first period but could not change the angle enough to get his shot around the defender. He also showed off good patience on one rush attempt where he slowed up and spun back towards the board when his shooting lane was taken away. Many players his age would settle for the poor shot, but he found an open teammate and kept play going. Konsta’s biggest moment today was when he assisted on a late go-ahead goal. He applied good pressure on a forecheck in the corner, stole the puck off of his opponent’s stick, and spun up towards the blue line with his head up and found a teammate in the slot for a one-time finish. We would like to see Konsta apply this aggressive forechecking pressure more consistently. It seemed like he was passive and did not give it his all when hunting for the puck in all three zones. His lack of ability to consistently create in the offensive one has been a bit worrisome as well. He needs to become more confident with the puck and hold onto it for a bit longer in order to find better options. Taking more risks to get the puck to the net would also increase his offensive output. Better performance today but still looking for Helenius to take his game to the next level.
| Emil Hemming | TPS | Liiga | R | RW | 6’1″ | 201 | Vaasa, FIN | 2006 | 2023-2024: A |
Game Grade: C
Comments: Hemming was not much of a factor in today’s game. When he has the space to pick up speed, he is able to rush the puck up ice successfully with skilled and soft moves to slip past opponents. He did not touch the puck very often today and was not able to generate much of anything. He needs to work on his ability to get open and set himself up for shots in the offensive zone. He has a heavy shot but very rarely gets an opportunity to use it due to his stationary style of play. He only got about 9:30 time on ice today and was not in the defensive zone often but his positioning was solid. He helped to push the play towards the wall and blocked a shot at the line. Hemming has the talent to contribute more offensively but needs to help himself generate chances by learning better off puck movement.
| Luka Radivojevic | Orebro HK J20 | J20 Nationell | R | D | 5’10” | 154 | Edina, MN | 2007 | 2024-2025: A |
Game Grade: B-
Comments: 2025 eligible Radivojevic became more confident in every game he played this tournament. His passing was the most notable element of his game today. He always has his head up to find open teammates and hits them with quick passes up ice. A majority of his pass choices are the best available option, and he was able to set up multiple perfect breakouts through his decision making. He may benefit from slowing his game down a bit. There were times where he forced passes up ice and rushed his decisions just to get the puck off his stick as quickly as possible. He is still young and has shown a high IQ and ability to make decisions, he will learn to settle his game down over the next season. Luka has quick hands and feet which he uses to escape pressure below the goal line and rush the puck up at times. He is good at retrievals and turns the puck up ice with intention, picking up the puck with a plan based on a pre-scan. He is a bit undersized right now and will need to continue to learn how to overcome this lack of height/strength in his own zone, but he will have plenty of time to become more responsible and use his brain to outsmart opponents.
Scout: Henry Lawrence