Joni Ikonen was not present for the last game of the week for KalPa against Tappara. While we have no news why he was left out, an educated guess is that he was already meeting up with the Finnish U20 National Team for the trip to Russia and the Four Nations tournament taking place there next week.
The tournament will be a very important showcase for the Finnish playmaker. While Ikonen has struggled against men in a pro league, many remember his success in last season’s U18 tournament, and he needs to show he still has those skills when playing against players his own age.