A teenager enchants the ice hockey world

Kaapo Kako After a brace against the Canadian NHL team, he added a hat trick against World Cup hosts Slovakia on Saturday and is leading the tournament's top scorers list with five goals.

TPS Turku's right wing showed off all his skills in the 4-2 win against Slovakia. First he scored with a powerful shot to make it 2-1 (17th), before making it 3-2 (50th) he cheekily let Martin Fehervary get out and pushed the puck between goalkeeper Marek Ciliak's pads.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2tNLTw7DLNg

“It was really cool. First, of course, the little deception, but then just a small shot towards the goal. Sometimes it pays to try,” said the teenager. “Only the sky is his limit” Finland coach Jukka Jalonen He completed his hat trick in the final minute, shaking off a Slovakian defender and scoring into an empty net. Kakko also finished off the 3-1 win against Canada with an “empty-netter”. Proof of the trust that team boss Jukka Jalonen places in his youngster, even in crucial situations. “There aren't many players like him in the world. When he has the stick on the ice, the sky is the limit,” said Jalonen euphorically. “I tried to speak English” Kaapo Kakko after his interview marathon Kakko, U18 and U20 world champion with the Soumi team, is already used to competing with adults. He made his debut for TPS Turku in the Finnish top league in 2017/18, and last season he set a record for his age group with 22 goals in 45 games. Now he is also making a big impact on the international stage. “You couldn't really expect something like that. He hadn't played a single A game before the first week of training. It was clear from a playful point of view that he was in control of things, but now he is also managing to keep up with the international pace,” said Jalonen about his teenager, who is still taking the hype in a relaxed manner. “I tried to speak English. “It’s fun to have so much attention,” Kakko said. Duel of mega talents For the NHL draft in Vancouver at the end of June, he is traded as number two, behind the American Jack Hughes, who turns 18 on Tuesday. But maybe the New Jersey Devils, who have the first right to vote, will change their minds - otherwise the New York Rangers can be happy. The scouts are eagerly awaiting the direct duel between the two greatest talents born in 2001, when Finland and the USA meet in Kosice this Monday (16.15:XNUMX p.m.).

What is certain is that a Finnish talent will be selected in the top 3 of the NHL draft for the fourth time in a row. In 2016, Patrick Laine was number 2 (plus Jesse Puljujärvi and Olli Juoveli were numbers 4 and 5), Miro Heiskanen (2017) and Jesperi Kotkaniemi (2018) each came in as number 3.

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A teenager enchants the ice hockey world

Just over 100 NHL professionals are at the Ice Hockey World Championships in Slovakia, but on the first weekend they were all outshone by an 18-year-old playing for his hometown club in Finland.

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