Finally - Koivu, Peltonen, Lehtinen together again

Saku Koivu will be the spiritual leader on Team Finland for the 2004 World Cup of Hockey.

It is a great day for Finnish hockey as Saku Koivu, Jere Lehtinen and Ville Peltonen are finally on the same team again for the first time in eight years. Koivu, the captain of the Montreal Canadiens, was recuperating from his stomach cancer two years ago and could not take part in Salt Lake City in 2002. 

The Olympics was the only time since 1996 when all the three forwards were technically eligible to join Team Finland, but Koivu's near fatal illness prevented the reunion two years ago.

This line led Finland to the gold medal in the 1995 IIHF World Championship in Stockholm, Sweden - Finland's greatest hockey success so far.

Coach Raimo Summanen selected an entirely new goaltender trio as Kari Lehtonen, Miika Kiprusoff and Vesa Toskala replace the World Championship unit of Fredrik Norrena, Jussi Markkanen and Mika Noronnen. Other notable absentees are defensemen Petter Nummelin and Janne Niininmaa, while some observers might miss forward Niklas Hagman.

21-year old defenseman Joni Pitkanen will get his first taste of a major international senior tournament, having earlier been a standout in the IIHF World U20 Championships. Three forwards from leagues outside the NHL were named: Peltonen plays for HC Lugano in Switzerland, Jukka Hentunen comes also from the Swiss league (Fribourg-Gotteron) while Mikko Eloranto plays for TPS Turku in the Finnish SM-Liiga.

Finland has had limted succes in international competition after making it to the gold medal game of the 2001 IIHF World Championship, losing in the quarter-finals on three occasions (2002 Olympics, 2003 Worlds and 2004 Worlds) and in the semi-final in the 2002 Worlds. Finland has not won a medal since 2001.

Finland were eliminated in the quarter-final (5-0 loss to Russia) in the 1996 World Cup of Hockey.

Goaltenders:
Lehtonen Kari, Atlanta Thrashers         
Kiprusoff Miikka, Calgary Flames              
Toskala Vesa, San José Sharks

Defensemen:            
Pitkänen Joni, Philadelphia Flyers    
Timonen Kimmo, Nashville Predators  
Vaananen Ossi, Colorado Avalanche    
Salo Sami, Vancouver Canucks         
Berg Aki-Petteri, Toronto Maple Leafs      
Numminen Teppo, Dallas Stars             
Lydman Toni, Calgary Flames

Forwards:              
Selänne Teemu, Colorado Avalanche   
Nieminen Ville, Calgary Flames             
Koivu Saku, Montreal Canadiens         
Jokinen Olli, Florida Panthers           
Ruutu Tuomo, Chicago Blackhawks    
Peltonen Ville, HC Lugano (SUI)            
Eloranta Mikko, TPS Turku (FIN)            
Laaksonen Antti, Minnesota Wild          
Kapanen Sami, Philadelphia Flyers    
Hentunen Jukka, Fribourg-Gotteron (SUI)
Lehtinen Jere, Dallas Stars               
Hahl Riku, Colorado Avalanche          
Ruutu Jarkko, Vancouver Canucks     
Kapanen Niko, Dallas Stars                
Pirnes Esa, Los Angeles Kings