Penguins defensive prospects Emil Pieniemi and Kalle Kangas have been selected to represent Finland in the upcoming International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) World Junior Championship tournament.
The Finnish Ice Hockey Association officially announced its members on Friday.
Pieniniemi (third round, 91st overall) and Kanges (seventh round, 223rd overall) were each selected by the Penguins in this year’s draft.
The left-handed Pieniemi (6-foot-2, 170 pounds) has played for three different teams in Finland so far in the 2023-24 season. He has mainly played for Karpat in the country’s top league, La Liga. He has played in 23 games and recorded 4 assists.
In July, the Penguins signed Pieniemi to a three-year entry-level contract, which will “slide,” or begin, once he begins playing in North America.
Kangas (6-4, 205), also a left-hander, has played primarily this season with Jokerit of Mestis in Finland’s second division. He has played in 23 games and scored 6 goals.
The only other Penguins prospect scheduled to participate in this tournament is forward Brayden Jaeger, the team’s first-round pick (No. 14) in this year’s draft. He was selected to Canada’s roster on December 13.
The tournament is scheduled to be held in Gothenburg, Sweden from December 26th to January 5th.
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Seth Lorabaugh is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Seth can be reached via email at srorabaugh@triblive.com or on Twitter. .