By Canadian Press

Finland tops Sweden in overtime to make gold-medal game at world juniors

Jan 4, 2025 | 3:59 PM

OTTAWA — Finland is back in the gold-medal game at the world junior hockey championship.

Benjamin Rautiainen scored on a power play at 9:22 of overtime to secure the country’s 4-3 victory over Sweden in the semifinals of the men’s under-20 tournament Saturday.

The forward snuck a shot past Swedish goaltender Melker Thelin on a 4-on-3 man advantage with Vancouver Canucks prospect Tom Willander in the box for holding. It was Rautiainen’s second goal of the competition.

Emil Hemming, with a goal and an assist, Jesse Kiiskinen and Arttu Alasiurua provided the rest of the offence for the Finns, who got 43 saves from Petteri Rimpinen. Konsta Helenius had three assists, while Topias Hynninen had two.

Otto Stenberg, with two goals, and Wilhelm Hallquisth replied for the Swedes. Thelin stopped 31 shots.

Derelict home

City of Chilliwack seeks quotes from contractors to clean up derelict home

1h ago

Chilliwack church raises funds

Chilliwack church steps up by raising over $300,000 for Christmas hampers, food programs

4h ago

New OIC in Langley

Fraser Valley native named OIC of Langley RCMP Detachment

5h ago

Finland, which hasn’t won gold since beating the United States when the Scandinavians last hosted in 2019, will meet the winner of the late semifinal between the Americans and Czechia in Sunday’s title game. Sweden gets the loser in the battle for bronze.

Finland’s last podium finish was a silver in 2022 when Canada — eliminated by Czechia in the quarterfinals for the second straight year Thursday — won gold in Edmonton.

The Swedes, who have secured just two gold medals in tournament history and lost last year’s title game to the U.S. on home soil in Gothenburg, opened the scoring 1:22 into the middle period when Stenberg beat Rimpinen on a 2-on-1 for his second.

Finland tied it when Hemming buried his first off a give-and-go with Helenius at 4:32. The Finns then had a goal called back for offside, but Kiiskinen made it 2-1 at 13:28 with his fifth on a power play.

Stenberg scored his second of the game at 18:07 to knot things up on a Swedish man advantage before Alasiurua pushed Finland ahead 3-2 with 20.8 seconds remaining in the period.

With the teams still all square late in the second period, Alasiurua took the puck hard to the net and stuffed his third past Swedish goaltender Melker Thelin.

The Swedes tied things again at 11:32 of the third period when Hallquisth squeezed a shot through Rimpinen before Rautiainen put his country into the final.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 4, 2025.

Joshua Clipperton, The Canadian Press