Chicago Blackhawks prospect Henri Jokiharju suffered a left knee injury Sunday against the United States at the World Junior Summer Showcase at USA Hockey Arena in Plymouth, Michigan.
It appears that #Winterhawks d-man and #Blackhawks prospect Henri Jokiharju received some type of knee injury on this hit #WJSS pic.twitter.com/haEXnUtxOD
— Brandon Rivers (@hodgesheroes) August 1, 2017
Jokiharju, who was selected with the No. 29 overall pick in the first round of the NHL draft in June, will miss the rest of the tournament Finland’s head coach Jussi Ahokas told NHL.com’s Adam Kimelman. A source also tells Brian Hedger of The Athletic and NHL.com that Jokiharju is expected to be ready for the Blackhawks training camp in September.
Jokiharju, who is only 18 years old, was playing in the tournament to try to make his case for a roster spot on Finland’s team for next year’s World Junior Championship.
The 6-foot-1, 187-pound blue liner made the jump to North America last season, and found success. He scored nine goals and 48 points in 71 regular-season games last season for the Portland Winterhawks of the Western Hockey League. He added three assists in 11 playoff games, and is expected to return to Portland next season.