<p>Only four players have ever skated in the U-18, U-20 and senior men’s World Championship in the same year.</p>



<p>USA’s Jack Hughes did it in 2018-19; Kevin Fiala was everywhere for Switzerland in 2013-14; and both Andrei Kostitsyn and Vadim Karaga did the triple of Belarus in 2002-03.</p>



<p>Now, Finland’s Konsta Helenius is about to join the club.</p>



<p>It’s been a whirlwind season for Helenius, who, back in August, was turning heads by just being part of Finland’s World Junior Summer Showcase team instead of playing at the more age-appropriate Hlinka Gretzky Cup. Considered a top prospect even back then, it was impressive to see away from his peers and trying to impress the upper brass in a smaller, three-nation exhibition tourney in Plymouth, Michigan.</p>



<p>But little did anyone know that was just the start of something bigger, something more impressive. </p><div class="injected-ad injected-video" data-nn-ad-tech-injection-count="0" data-nn-ad-tech-max-gap="130" data-nn-ad-tech-current-gap="142"></div>



<p>Helenius has dipped his toes in a little bit of everything this season. And it all started with making Jukurit’s Liiga team again, allowing him to play his second full season of high-level men’s pro hockey at just 17 years old. The coaching staff, led by former NHLer Olli Jokinen, clearly trusted him after watching him put up 11 points in 33 games, and there was nothing left for him to prove against teenagers. In 2022-23, he split the year between Jukurit and Tappara’s U-20 squad, but also played in the U-17 World Challenge and the U-18 World Championship in Switzerland – and was a top player in both events for the Finns.</p>



<p>But this year was even more impressive. Not only did he make Finland’s World Junior team as one of the youngest players in the tournament, but he even started by centering the top line. He finished with just two assists, but he proved he could hang with the best of them.</p><div class="injected-ad" data-nn-ad-tech-injection-count="1" data-nn-ad-tech-max-gap="130" data-nn-ad-tech-current-gap="164"></div>



<p>Helenius finished the year with 14 goals and 36 points in 51 Liiga games, 25 clear of the next highest-scoring U-18 player in Emil Hemming. It was the fourth-highest production of a U-18 player in league history, trailing behind Aleksander Barkov (48 in 2012-13), Mikael Granlund (40 in 2009-10) and Kaapo Kakko (38 in 2018-19).</p>



<p>“I had a good summer, so I expected that I would have a good season,” Helenius said. “Olli (Jokinen) helped me a lot, so it was good.”</p>



<p>So there were high hopes for Helenius at the U-18 World Championship on home ice earlier this month. After looking great with the men’s team in the days leading up to it, he knew he was heading to the World Championship right after it. But entering with the momentum of winning on home ice should have been enough to see a monster performance from one of the most experienced pro hockey players in the field.</p><div class="injected-ad" data-nn-ad-tech-injection-count="2" data-nn-ad-tech-max-gap="130" data-nn-ad-tech-current-gap="157"></div>



<p>Instead, it was a disappointment. Sweden eliminated Finland in the quarterfinal, with Helenius finishing with seven assists in five games. On the surface, that’s solid – but six of those points came against Latvia, Norway and Slovakia, all of whom were battling to just make the quarterfinal at that point. With just one point total against USA and Sweden, Helenius didn’t show up when the Finns needed him.</p>



<p>Maybe he was more focused on getting back with the men’s team, because he immediately had a two-point effort in the final Euro Hockey Tour game before the World Championship on Sunday. He’s up to six points in six games against men on the international stage this year, which might be his most impressive collection of international games all season long.</p>



<p>With Helenius challenging for a top-10 spot in the 2024 NHL Draft, all eyes will be on him to step up at the World Championship. He’ll be the top participating prospect, which comes at a time when most of his peers are done for the season. Some scouts think Helenius could be ready for the NHL as soon as next year, given how well he’s played against pros over the past two years.</p><div class="injected-ad" data-nn-ad-tech-injection-count="3" data-nn-ad-tech-max-gap="130" data-nn-ad-tech-current-gap="202"></div>



<p>Could the World Championship help make that happen?</p>



<p>“It’s definitely a possibility,” a scout said at the U-18s. “He’s mentally mature, physically mature, makes good decisions with the puck. If he doesn’t make it in October, he’ll be a fixture the next year, for sure.”</p>



<p>Helenius will be in more of a support role for the Finns, featuring Granlund, Jesse Puljujarvi and Olli Maatta, among only a handful of NHL players. The Finns have proven in the past they can win without them – 2019, in particular – due to a good team commitment from the whole roster. But bringing Helenius opened up some eyes because even if he ends up skating on the fourth line, you’re asking a lot from a 17-year-old who has already done so much this year.</p><div class="injected-ad" data-nn-ad-tech-injection-count="4" data-nn-ad-tech-max-gap="130" data-nn-ad-tech-current-gap="131"></div>



<p>For a 5-foot-11 center, his lack of size hasn’t prevented Helenius from shining. He’s a battler who never gives up on a puck and plays with muscle. His hockey sense is among the leaders in this draft class, and he’s just so physically in tune with his own strengths. Helenius has a skill set, knows how to play to it, and knows how to use it to overpower opponents, no matter their experience.</p>



<p>“He’s an amazing hockey player, a great guy,” fellow draft prospect <a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/news/fully-healthy-aron-kiviharju-is-back-stronger-and-ready-for-the-2024-nhl-draft">Aron Kiviharju</a> said. “He’s able to make great things happen on the ice, with and without the puck.”</p>



<p>Playing in the Euro Hockey Tour is one thing, but doing it at the World Championship with all the pressure associated is a whole other beast. The talent pool is bigger than usual, too, with an abundance of NHLers participating across the 16-team pool in hopes of improving their odds of making their respective Olympic teams in 2026. There’s a realistic chance Helenius could be one of those guys in two years as he continues to show promise at such a young age.</p><div class="injected-ad" data-nn-ad-tech-injection-count="5" data-nn-ad-tech-max-gap="130" data-nn-ad-tech-current-gap="185"></div>



<p>But there’s still significant pressure here. Some scouts think he’s going early, and others aren’t so convinced. One concern seems to be that his ceiling isn’t as high and that he won’t be a big-time producer in the NHL. Others think he has enough quality attributes to be totally fine. Either way, quite a few fanbases will be keeping a close eye on what he does to close out the season. </p>



<p>It’s always an honor to represent your country, and Helenius said so himself. But with the NHL Draft just a month away, the stakes mean just a bit more for the youngest player in the tournament. </p>



<hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity">



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" src="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fpublish.dailyfaceoff.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2024%2F04%2F727x404_bFIX.png&amp;w=1920&amp;q=75" alt=""></figure>



<p>Hey, hockey heads! Get ready for&nbsp;<a href="https://games.dailyfaceoff.com/games/playoff-parlay-challenge" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Daily Faceoff Playoff Parlay Challenge</a>! Each game day, answer four playoff prediction questions like who will win the first game, will points be over or under or what will be the highest-scoring period? Daily winners snag gift cards, while each round’s champs pocket cash! Play now at&nbsp;<a href="http://games.dailyfaceoff.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">games.dailyfaceoff.com</a>&nbsp;and prove your puck prowess! It’s fast, it’s fun, and it’s all about hockey! Let’s go!</p><div class="injected-ad" data-nn-ad-tech-injection-count="6" data-nn-ad-tech-max-gap="130" data-nn-ad-tech-current-gap="177"></div>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-recently-by-steven-ellis">Recently by Steven Ellis</h2>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li><a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/news/2024-nhl-mock-draft-post-draft-lottery-top-24">2024 NHL Mock Draft: Post-draft lottery top 24</a></li>



<li><a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/news/2024-nhl-draft-lottery-preview-rating-the-contending-teams-prospect-pools">2024 NHL Draft Lottery Preview: Rating the contending teams’ prospect pools</a></li>



<li><a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/news/breaking-down-every-round-2-goaltending-matchup-in-2024-stanley-cup-playoffs">Breaking down every Round 2 goaltending matchup in 2024 Stanley Cup playoffs</a></li>



<li><a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/news/2024-nhl-draft-scouting-reports-on-more-than-100-prospects-from-u-18-world-championship">2024 NHL Draft: Scouting reports on more than 100 prospects from U-18 World Championship</a></li>



<li><a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/news/captain-america-brodie-ziemer-brings-leadership-hard-working-effort-to-2024-nhl-draft">Captain America: Brodie Ziemer brings leadership, hard-working effort to 2024 NHL Draft</a></li>



<li><a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/news">Porter Martone always gets paired with future NHL stars – for a reason</a></li>



<li><a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/news/authors/stevenellis">You have to take notice of what James Hagens is doing at the U-18 World Championship</a></li>



<li><a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/news/fully-healthy-aron-kiviharju-is-back-stronger-and-ready-for-the-2024-nhl-draft">Fully healthy, Aron Kiviharju is back stronger and ready for the 2024 NHL Draft</a></li>



<li><a href="https://dailyfaceoff.com/holy-f-hes-good-gavin-mckenna-is-chasing-history-at-u-18-world-championship/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">‘Holy f—, he’s good’: Gavin McKenna is chasing history at U-18 World Championship</a></li>



<li><a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/news/tij-iginla-is-more-than-just-jaromes-hes-a-future-nhl-star">Tij Iginla is more than just Jarome’s son – he’s a future NHL star</a></li>



<li><a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/news/cole-eiserman-is-chasing-caufields-goal-record-but-will-it-be-enough-to-help-his-nhl-draft-stock">Cole Eiserman is chasing Caufield’s goal record – but will it be enough to help his NHL Draft stock?</a></li>



<li><a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/news/want-to-get-past-2024-nhl-draft-prospect-ej-emery-good-luck">Want to get past 2024 NHL Draft prospect EJ Emery? Good luck</a></li>



<li><a href="http://dailyfaceoff.com/2024-nhl-draft-top-20-prospects-to-watch-at-the-under-18-world-championship/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">2024 NHL Draft: Top 20 prospects to watch at the Under-18 World Championship</a></li>



<li><a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/news/2024-nhl-draft-rankings-pre-under-18-world-championship-top-75">2024 NHL Draft rankings: Pre-under-18 World Championship top 75</a></li>
</ul>
