Chicago Blackhawks‘ prospect Joni Tuulola will represent Finland in front of the home crowd at the 2016 World Junior Championship in Helsinki.
The defenseman will join three goaltenders, six other defenseman and 13 forwards in Finland’s bid to win its fourth WJC, and repeat the 1998 team’s feat of winning on home ice.
Tuulola, 19, has four assists in 29 games for HPK Hämeenlinna in Finland’s SM-Ligga. The left-handed shooting defenseman had five goals and five assists in 32 games for them last season. He was selected in the sixth round by the Hawks in this year’s draft.
The 2016 WJC runs Dec. 26 to Jan. 5, 2016. Finland opens Group B play at 10 a.m. Saturday at Hartwell Arena against Belarus.
Tuulola won’t be the only Hawks prospect competing in the tournament as 2014 first-round pick Nick Schmaltz was named to the United States’ roster Wednesday. Radovan Bondra (Slovakia), Gustav Forsling and Fredrik Olofsson (Sweden) were also on preliminary rosters.