It has been an up-and-down season for Joni Ikonen after the Montreal Canadiens drafted him in the second round at 58th overall during the 2017 Draft. He left Gothenburg and Sweden for Kuopio in Finland, the SHL for Liiga, at a time when many in Frölunda thought he would get his breakthrough playing in Sweden.
The adjustment from a few games in the SHL in a very small role to a bigger role in Liiga has meant a lot of change, not only on the ice but off it too.
“I think I was prepared [for the pros],” said Ikonen, “but here, in Finland, I get to play much more.