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Maple Leafs’ Jani Hakanpaa named to Finland’s 4 Nations Face-Off roster
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Photo credit: © Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images
Arun Srinivasan
Dec 4, 2024, 14:30 ESTUpdated: Dec 4, 2024, 14:41 EST
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Toronto Maple Leafs defenceman Jani Hakanpaa was named to Finland’s 4 Nations Face-off team on Wednesday, joining his country’s seven-man defensive rotation.
Hakanpaa is the lone Maple Leafs player on Finland’s roster. Auston Matthews and William Nylander have already been named to Team USA and Team Sweden, respectively, while Mitch Marner is expected to be named to Canada’s roster Wednesday evening. Nylander is Toronto’s lone representative on Sweden’s roster.
The 32-year-old joins Miro Heiskanen, Esa Lindell, Niko Mikkola, Olli Maatta, Rasmus Ristolainen and Juuso Valimaki on Finland’s blue line. Here is Finland’s full roster via Sportsnet:
A towering defencemen best known for playing a stay-at-home style, Hakanpaa has played in two games for the Maple Leafs this season and is currently on injured reserve retroactive to November 16 with a lower-body injury. He is eligible to return whenever he’s deemed ready to play again, and Finland is banking on the idea that he’ll be ready and pain-free when the tournament kicks off in February.
Hakanpaa recorded two goals and 12 points in 64 games with the Dallas Stars last season, before his season came to an end due to a knee injury. Toronto’s medical team examined Hakanpaa throughout the summer, before both parties agreed to a one-year, $1.47 million contract for the season.
“It’s probably something we’ve got to keep managing throughout the year,” Hakanpaa said of his knee on November 5. “We found a good routine in how to deal with it. We learned a lot even the time, but obviously through the whole rehab process, even just being here, we’ve been loading it more and more each week, each day. It’s something we’re just gonna keep managing, doing the right things, and stay on top of it.”
The veteran defenceman was primarily paired with Lindell during the past two seasons with the Stars, and it’s likely that both players could be grouped together again as continuity will have some benefits in a short tournament.
Hakanpaa helped Finland capture the gold medal at the 2019 IIHF World Championships, recording one goal and two points in 10 games, in his lone senior international tournament.

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