Chicago Blackhawks' Jokiharju to miss at least 8 games while playing for Finland
With the Stanley Cup playoffs all but out of reach, the Blackhawks decided to take the long view Tuesday by loaning defenseman Henri Jokiharju to the Finnish national team so he could play in the IIHF World Junior Championship in Vancouver.
The tournament runs from Dec. 26 through Jan. 5, meaning the 19-year-old Jokiharju will miss at least eight games.
"We're thinking about what kind of player he's going to be months down the road and years down the road," said Hawks coach Jeremy Colliton.
The World Juniors is a high-profile tournament that brings together the best young hockey players across the globe. The Hawks believe Jokiharju will not only gain confidence in his game, but that he'll also grow as a leader on and off the ice.
"They're so excited to have him," Colliton said. "It's a lot of responsibility for him. … He's got to embrace the opportunity, but I think he will and it can be a great experience."
Jokiharju got off to a fast start with the Hawks, racking up 8 assists while averaging 21½ minutes of ice time in his first 15 games.
Like many rookies, though, he's slowed down of late. Jokiharju has just 1 assist in his last 11 games and has played less than 20 minutes in his last seven.
"I was talking with him the other day and I know how hard it is your first year," fellow D-man Connor Murphy said. "Just the schedule, the ups and downs. In the NHL, you're playing every other day and so many back-to-backs. It's different in junior, playing on the weekends."
That's why Murphy believes we'll see a different Jokiharju upon his return in early January.
"He's an unreal player and I just think about how much he's going to dominate that tournament," Murphy said. "It'll be pretty cool to see. … It'll be awesome for him to go and dominate and come back and be even better."
The United States (2013, '17), Finland ('14, '16) and Canada ('15, '18) have won the last six IIHF titles.
Delia arrives:
With Corey Crawford (concussion) on injured reserve, 24-year-old Collin Delia will back up Cam Ward in net. Delia began last season in the ECHL, but earned a promotion to Rockford and was a big reason behind the IceHogs' run to the Western Conference final in the Calder Cup playoffs.
"It definitely helped (my confidence)," Delia said Tuesday. "Just experience, just continue to build on the games played stat. I think that's one of the most important stats for goaltenders - playing games and seeing different situations, so that was huge."
Delia has picked up where he left off, posting an AHL-best .933 save percentage in 17 appearances.
The Hawks haven't decided how much playing time Delia will receive, but he figures to start either in Dallas on Thursday or Colorado on Friday.
Slap shot:
Artem Anisimov (concussion) and Gustav Forsling (shoulder) were activated from injured reserve and played against Nashville at the United Center on Tuesday. Chris Kunitz, Andreas Martinsen and defenseman Brandon Manning were the Hawks' healthy scratches.