Canucks prospect Joni Jurmo named to Team Finland for 2022 World Juniors

Vancouver Canucks defence prospect Joni Jurmo has been selected to play for Team Finland at the 2022 IIHF Men’s World Junior Championship next month.

Jurmo, 20, is a 6’4″, 198-pound left-handed defenceman who scored two goals and 10 points in 50 games with Jokerit in the top-tier Finnish Liiga during the 2021–22 regular season.

The Canucks originally selected Jurmo in the third round (No. 82 overall) of the 2020 NHL Draft. He was their first of five selections in 2020.

Jurmo was not initially selected to play for Team Finland when the 2022 World Juniors were set to take place at their usual time (December 2021 to January 2022). The decision to postpone the tournament and start from scratch gave Jurmo another chance to crack the Finnish roster.

Jurmo is the only Canucks prospect on Team Finland. He joins a defensive group that also includes Eemil Viro (Detroit Red Wings), Topi Niemela (Toronto Maple Leafs), Matias Rajaniemi (New York Islanders), Ruben Rafkin (undrafted), Aleksi Heimosalmi (Carolina Hurricanes), Kasper Puutio (Florida Panthers), and Petteri Nurmi (Montreal Canadiens).

The 2022 IIHF Men’s World Junior Championship will take place in Edmonton, Alberta from August 9 to 20, 2022.