Many NHL teams are scheduled to compete in the 2024 International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) and World Junior Tournament. The Los Angeles Kings will be sending defenseman Otto Sarin, who plays for the Finnish national team.
Kings Sarin will represent Finland in the World Junior Tournament
The tournament will be held in Gothenburg, Sweden from December 26, 2023 to January 5, 2024. The play will take place in two venues, including the 12,044-capacity Scandinavium, and will feature Group A, consisting of Canada, Sweden, Finland, Latvia and Germany. Group B will be held at Florn d’Avault, which is a smaller venue with a seating capacity of 6,044. Group B consists of the United States, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Switzerland and Norway. Ten countries will showcase their young talents and play on behalf of their countries.
The tournament will conclude with the gold medal match in early January 2024, making this the “2024” World Junior Championship.
Sarin was selected by the Los Angeles Kings in the fifth round (148th overall) of the 2022 NHL Entry Draft and is honored to serve as one of the alternate captains for the Finnish national team.
Sarin is from Helinski, Finland and has experience in world junior tournaments. He also played for Finland’s U20 team in the 2022/23 and 2023/24 seasons, registering three assists in six games. This season, he played for HIFK in La Liga and Kirkland Vantaa in Mestis, scoring seven points with one goal and six assists in 30 games.
Sarin is one of the more well-rounded prospects in the Los Angeles Kings organization’s defense. Although he has not yet made his North American debut with the Ontario Reign of the American Hockey League (AHL), he is staying overseas and developing his game further. He might end up in Ontario at some point this season or make his pro debut next season. The move may depend on his performance at the World Junior Tournament, but many eyes throughout the organization will be glued to Sarin’s play. He has a bright future in the Los Angeles Kings organization. It may be a year or two before he’s in Ontario full-time, but he’s one player to keep an eye on to see if he develops into a solid defensive future for the Kings.
(photo: hockeyroyalty.com; Pavel Malyugin (photo: hockeyroyalty.com; Ryan Sikes)