Meet the Team: Finland's 2024 U18 World Hockey Championship roster

Finland is looking to improve on last year's embarrassing quarterfinal exit, and by all accounts, they have a good shot at accomplishing that goal.

They've made a clear upgrade on their blueline relative to last year's team, with three returning members from that squad. Aron Kiviharju's long-awaited return is also going to be one of the biggest stories coming into the tournament. Finland also has two solid options in net, even if this age group lacks a true star-level No. 1 goalie.

The biggest question marks relate to offence. Konsta Helenius, undoubtedly the biggest star of the age group for the Finns, is currently at camp with the men's national team ahead of the World Championships, and it's currently unknown whether he'll be participating. Julius Miettinen is also still tied in the WHL playoffs, though his team is currently down 3-0 in their quarterfinal series and could get knocked out before the start of the tournament.

Both players' absence would be a huge blow for this team. On the other hand, there's still a chance both of them will be able to attend, which would obviously be a huge boost for the team's chances of competing.