BUFFALO — Joonas Kemppainen is 27 years old and played professionally for the past nine seasons in Finland’s top league. Yet he found himself the last few days in the Bruins-Sabres-Devils rookie tournament, skating with and against kids nearly a decade younger — all, like him, dreaming of making it in the National Hockey League.
And for Kemppainen, it’s all good.
“It’s good to get games,” Kemppainen said before the Bruins’ 4-3 overtime victory last night against New Jersey hopefuls at the lovely new Harborcenter. “It doesn’t matter how old the players are, or how young, it’s good to get a couple of games here.