Toronto Maple Leafs defenceman Jani Hakanpaa hopes to get back into game action as soon as possible.

It’s not just because he wants to help out his team, that much is obvious. Hakanpaa has played in two games in November after undergoin g a procedure on his knee that threatened to end his NHL career. He’s also motivated to represent Finland at the 4 Nations Face-Off, as he was named to the roster on December 4th as the Leafs’ lone representative.

Hakanpaa spoke to Sportsnet’s Luke Fox, the opportunity to play for his country is one thing that is motivating him to get back into the fold as soon as he can.

“It’s a really nice thing to work toward. You have that little special thing there, you try to work your way to,” Hakanpaa said. “It gives that little extra boost every day knowing that’s just around the corner. Hopefully, I can get there in time and help Team Finland create some good memories again.”

The good memories he is referring to was the time he helped contribute to Finland’s gold medal win at the 2019 IIHF World Hockey Championship. On a team that boasted the likes of Kaapo Kakko, Niko Mikkola, Henri Jokiharju, and Kevin Lankinen, Hakanpaa made a strong impression at the tournament with his defensive prowess as well as his large frame.

Hakanpaa has two points (a goal and an assist) at the World Hockey Championships but they came in the playoff games when the stakes were high, with his lone assist on an insurance goal from Harri Pesonen to help secure the gold medal.

“Oh, it’s a massive honour,” Hakanpaa said. “We were big-time underdogs. Some people in Finland told us we were the worst team to ever be in the world championships for Finland before the tournament. We just grew together, and winning was unreal.”

Their triumph gave way to a weeklong party in Finland where Hakanpaa and his teammates travelled around the country to celebrate their achievement. He continues to look back on that time fondly not just because of winning it all but also because it was his most recent occurrence of representing Finland prior to being named to the 4 Nations roster.

“We got home the next day, and we had, like, a stage in the middle of Helsinki. It was probably 70,000 people. We got on the stage. Everybody was going bananas,” he said. “It went on the whole week. Then we went to another city and another city. We really soaked it in. We decided, ‘Hey, we might not ever get this chance again, so just soak it in.’ It was a great week. Great week, for sure.”

While he is unsure when exactly he will be ready to return to the Leafs lineup, Hakanpaa is eager to get back in to be a defensive contributor as well as be healthy enough to get another shot of representing his country.