Winning Ice Hockey World Championship team member Kaapo Kakko will be honoured with an evening of festivities at his former school in Lieto on Thursday, according to Esko Poikela, mayor of the small municipality in southwestern Finland.
"At the festivities, the municipality will give an award to the three-time world champion," Poikela said.
Kakko was part of Team Finland, which won the gold medal at the Ice Hockey World Championships on 27 May by 3-1 against Team Canada. The 18-year-old plays forward and right wing, and scored the gold medal winning goal for Team Finland at the 2019 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships in January of this year.
He is the youngest player in hockey history to win gold in all three IIHF World Championship tournaments: the World U18 Championships, the World Junior Championships and the World Championships. Kaapo is he is expected to be picked up the New Jersey Devils or the New York Rangers in the current draft round, according to NJ.com. The first round of the 2019 NHL Draft starts in Vancouver on 21 June.
More festivities in store
The Lieto festivities, which start at 5pm on Thursday, will be held at Kakko’s old school, Pahkamäen Koulu, where he will be honoured for his achievements on behalf of the municipality.
"Everyone is welcome to celebrate Kaapo Kakko, who has promised to bring his hockey stick," Poikela said.
TPS, the Turun Palloseura, one of the biggest sports club in Finland and the City of Turku will organise a Kulta-Kaapo (Golden Kaapo) evening open to everyone on Wednesday evening next week at the Gatorade Center.