NFL, MLB, NHL, NBA, CFL stats



Saskatoon Blades

Niemi Gets The Call From Team Finland

December 9, 2009 - Western Hockey League (WHL)
Saskatoon Blades News Release


Saskatoon Blades defenseman Jyri Niemi (Hameenkyro, Finland) was announced on Wednesday as one of 25 players who will attend training camp for Team Finland in preparation for the 2010 World Junior Hockey Championships.

Niemi, a 19-year-old, is one of five Finnish players currently playing in the Canadian Hockey League that have chosen to join 20 players from Finland at the team's training camp in Calgary on December 21st. Niemi played for Team Finland in last year's tournament in Ottawa and recorded 2 goals and an assist for 3 points in 6 games played.

The 6'2", 202-pounder is in his third season with the Blades. So far this season, he has 5 goals and 11 assists for 16 points in 26 games played to go along with 44 penalty minutes. A 3rd round pick (72nd overall) of the New York Islanders in 2008, Niemi has 26 goals and 56 assists for 82 points in 135 regular season games played in his WHL career.

"We are pleased that Jyri again received a nomination to try out for Team Finland this year," commented Blades General Manager & Head Coach Lorne Molleken. "Getting the opportunity to play in this tournament is very important for players this age to showcase their skills against the best in the world and we wish him all the best in the tournament."

Team Finland will play Team Canada in a pre-tournament game on December 22nd in Calgary. The Finns are part of Pool "B" for the tournament and will compete in Regina against Team Austria, Team Czech Republic, Team Russia, and Team Sweden. The round robin portion kicks off December 26th.

Game day packages are now available for the games in Saskatoon through Ticketmaster at ticketmaster.ca, by calling 1-800-970-SEAT, or by visiting any Ticketmaster outlet. For the games in Regina, single game ticket packages are now available by visiting ticketmaster.ca, by calling 1-800-970-SEAT, or by visiting any Ticketmaster outlet.

Check out the Saskatoon Blades Statistics

• Discuss this story on the Western Hockey League message board...

Western Hockey League Stories from December 9, 2009


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central