Buffalo, N.Y. (WGR Sports Radio 550) - Buffalo Sabres defenseman Henri Jokiharju will get the chance to represent his home nation of Finland at the 4 Nations Face-Off later this month.
It was announced on Sunday that Jokiharju has been added to the Finnish roster for the in-season tournament as an injury replacement, as Miro Heiskanen (Dallas Stars) and Jani Hakanpaa (Toronto Maple Leafs) are both unable to participate.
The 25-year-old joins a defensive group for Finland that includes Esa Lindell (Dallas Stars), Olli Maatta (Utah Hockey Club), Niko Mikkola (Florida Panthers), Juuso Valimaki (Utah Hockey Club) and former Sabres defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen (Philadelphia Flyers).
He also joins fellow Sabres teammate Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen on the Finnish roster for the tournament that begins on Feb. 12 and continues through Feb. 20.
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Jokiharju is currently in his sixth season with the Sabres, having played 347 career games in Buffalo, scoring 17 goals and registering 62 assists for 79 points.
In 36 games so far this season with the Sabres, Jokiharju has scored one goal and three assists for four points, while also averaging 16:44 of ice-time.
The native of Oulu, Finland was a former first-round pick (29th overall) of the Chicago Blackhawks in the 2017 NHL Draft.
Jokiharju has had success representing Finland elsewhere on the international stage. He helped the Finns to gold medals at the both the IIHF World Junior Championship and the IIHF World Championship in 2019.