The New York Islanders will be well-represented at hockey’s top youth tournament as Simon Holmstrom and Matias Rajaniemi are headed to the World Juniors. The 2021 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships will be held at Rogers Place, the home of the Edmonton Oilers, from December 25, 2020, through January 5, 2021. Ten teams will participate in this year’s tournament, including Team Sweden and Team Finland, where Holmstrom and Rajaniemi will be playing, respectively.

Holmstrom, the Islanders’ first-round pick in the 2019 NHL Draft, played for the Bridgeport Sound Tigers last season, scoring eight goals and 15 points in 46 games during his first year on North American ice. Prior to this announcement, he was playing on loan with HC Vita Hästen in the HockeyAllsvenskan, Sweden’s second-tier. He had a rough go-around with them, scoring a goal and adding an assist in 11 games.

This will not be the first time that he will represent Sweden at the national level. Between 2016-2019, he played with the U16, U17, and U18 teams, tallying eight goals and 19 points in 34 games. Simon Holmstrom will be a key asset to Team Sweden at the World Juniors, especially in a year when depth is necessary. Sweden exemplifies that to the greatest extent as they have lost key members of their team due to positive Coronavirus tests, including their head coach Tomas Monten.

Rajaniemi, the Islanders’ sixth-round pick, was one of the youngest players available in the 2020 NHL Draft and has spent his entire career to date with his youth team, Pelicans, up until their team in the Liiga, Finland’s top league. This year in the Liiga, he has two assists in 18 games, but his play has massively progressed.

He has spent time with Finland’s national teams since 2017, playing with the U16, U17, and U18 teams, scoring four goals and adding five assists in 25 games. The six-foot-four defenseman will likely not see a ton of playing time as Finland’s defense core is deep, but when he gets the opportunity to play, he will be able to make an impact on the blueline with his heavy shot.

Don’t forget to watch the World Juniors from December 25, through January 5, and best of luck to Islanders’ prospects Simon Holmstrom and Matias Rajaniemi in the tournament!

SEF