After leaving the Abbotsford Canucks back in April following a brief stint with the team, fans weren't expecting to see Jonathan Lekkerimaki back in North America until next season. But now, in a bit of a surprise move, Lekkerimaki is returning to British Columbia.
Lekkerimaki was originally assigned to Abbotsford in late-March, but after only a few weeks, he left in order to attend Sweden's training camp ahead of the 2024 IIHF World Hockey Championship.
The 19-year-old appeared in exhibition games for Sweden, but due to the amount of veterans that were available to Tre Kronor for the tournament, they opted not to have Lekkerimaki on their final roster, which was released on Wednesday.
The Tullinge, Sweden native appeared in six games for the Abbotsford Canucks before heading to the national team camp. In those six games, Lekkerimaki had two points (one goal, one assist), no penalty minutes and was a plus-two.
