Joni Jurmo, Finland fall to Canada in gold medal game at 2022 World Juniors

Team Finland, featuring Vancouver Canucks defence prospect Joni Jurmo, fell 3–2 in overtime against Team Canada in the gold medal game at the 2022 IIHF Men’s World Junior Championship on Saturday evening.

Jurmo logged 16:34 — the fifth-most ice time of Team Finland’s seven dressed defenders — and posted a minus-one rating in the championship contest.

Unfortunately for Jurmo, his most notable moment of the game came early in the second period when he unintentionally provided a screen for Team Canada forward William Dufour to fire a quick wrister past Team Finland goaltender Juha Jatkola.

The Canucks originally selected Jurmo in the third round (No. 82 overall) of the 2020 NHL Draft. The 6’3″, 207-pound left-handed defenceman recorded one assist in seven games with Team Finland at the 2022 World Juniors.

Kent Johnson scored the golden goal in overtime against the Finns only moments after Team Canada captain Mason McTavish — who led the tournament in scoring and was ultimately named MVP — made a miraculous defensive stop on Topi Niemela.

McTavish somehow batted the puck out of mid-air and swept it off the goal line to preserve a 2–2 tie early in the extra frame. The Anaheim Ducks prospect also assisted on Team Canada’s first two goals of the contest.

Three Canucks prospects participated at the 2022 World Juniors, and two took home medals. While Jacob Truscott (Team USA) didn’t make it through to the medal round, Jonathan Lekkerimäki won bronze with Team Sweden earlier on Saturday.