What a finish for former Swift Current Bronco Aleksi Heponiemi and the Finnish Under-20 team, who knocked off the United States to claim Gold at the 2019 World Junior Championship in Vancouver.

The Finns used a goal from Kaapo Kakko with 1:26 left in regulation to earn a 3-2 victory over the U.S., and in the process, record their third World Junior title in six years.

Heponiemi added an assist on Finland’s second goal, to go up 2-0 at the time, pushing his team-leading point total to nine (3 G, 6 A) on the tournament.

After his former Broncos linemate Tyler Steenbergen scored the golden goal for Team Canada in 2018, it’s the second-straight year a Bronco/former Bronco has heard their country’s national anthem played to close the tournament.

The 2019 World Junior title caps off a spectacular playoff round for Heponiemi, a former (though, still clearly) fan-favourite.

The Tampere-born forward scored the game-tying goal late in the third period in a 2-1 win over the host Canadians in the Quarter-finals. Heponiemi then was awarded ‘Player of the Game’ in a 6-1 route of Finland in the semis, where he recorded the team’s fifth goal, along with three assists.

The gold medal also rounds out a stellar past ten months as well for Swift Current’s own ‘Finnish Flash’.

He and the Broncos of course notably won the Ed Chynoweth Cup over the Everett Silvertips, hoisting the championship trophy in what would be Hepo’s final game in front of the home crowd at the Innovation Credit Union iPlex.

The standout forward also racked up numerous notable achievements in his second-and-final season in the southwest:

  • WHL - Most Assists (90)
  • WHL - Most Playoff Assists (25)
  • WHL - First All-Star Team (Eastern Conference)
  • WHL - Most Sportsmanlike Player (Brad Hornung Trophy)
  • CHL - Sportsman of the Year

Heponiemi and Under-20 teammate Rasmus Kupari will now head back overseas to their Oulun Kärpät club, who sits in first place in the Finnish Elite League at 23-6-1-7.

The two young forwards both sit third (26) and fifth (23), respectively, in points on the team, though having played a handful fewer due to their absence for World Juniors.