Blackhawks loan Henri Jokiharju to Finnish team for world juniors

Chicago Blackhawks defenceman Henri Jokiharju, right, has been loaned to the Finnish national team for the 2019 world juniors. (Jay LaPrete/AP)

The Chicago Blackhawks have loaned defenceman Henri Jokiharju to Finland’s under-20 national team for the 2019 World Junior Championships, the team announced Tuesday.

The event will take place in Vancouver and Victoria from Dec. 26 and Jan 5.

Jokiharju has 11 assists with the Blackhawks this season and is averaging 20 minutes of ice time in 32 games as a rookie. The 19-year-old was the 29th-overall pick in the 2017 draft.

The 19-year-old played on Finland’s second pairing at last year’s tournament, pairing up with Canucks prospect Olli Juolevi. He finished with four points in five games as Finland lost to the Czech Repubic in the quarterfinals.

Jokiharju could miss up to eight NHL games during the tournament but is expected to return to Chicago when it’s over.

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