HERNING, DENMARK—It has been a busy year for Miro Heiskanen and it’s not over yet.

The talented defenceman opened it at the world junior championship in Buffalo before becoming a mainstay on the Finnish men’s national team for the Pyeongchang Olympics and world hockey championship.

The 18-year-old has established himself as a reliable defenceman who has passed the test against top NHL talents. He has been responsible for stopping the offensive aces in Denmark, something Connor McDavid can attest to.

Finland beat Canada and McDavid 5-1 on Saturday and Heiskanen contributed a great deal.

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He played 18:25 but his best moment came in the middle period when Canada was trailing 3-1 and desperately pressing to score. At one point, McDavid had just an empty net in front of him. Goaltender Harri Sateri was still at the far post and McDavid’s shot from the left circle was heading for goal.

But then Heiskanen came seemingly out of nowhere to tip the puck to safety.

“It was almost in the net but I hit the puck,” Heiskanen said. “It was a good save.”

When Heiskanen and McDavid came together in the third period, the result was a four-minute high sticking penalty for a frustrated McDavid, effectively ending Canada’s chances of a comeback.

Finland captain Mikael Granlund praised Heiskanen.

“I have seen him at the games here and nothing really surprises me about him,” Granlund said. “The way he skates, the way he handles the puck and sees the ice. He can play these games. He’s been really, really good this tournament. He’s got a great career ahead of him.”

The obvious next step is the NHL. The Dallas Stars picked Heiskanen third overall in the 2017 NHL draft and signed him to a three-year entry level contract. He spent last season on loan with IFK Helsinki.

He finished with 23 points, including 11 goals, in the regular season and added three goals and nine points in the playoffs.

He said the transition has not been a problem.

“It was tough sometimes but mostly quite easy because I play with smarter players. Of course, the play is faster than at the junior category and I face stronger guys,” he said.

The world tournament is proving is ready to stop the best.

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“It’s nice to face those guys and see where I am,” Heiskanen said. “It’s a good test to play them, maybe I will play them next year in the NHL. I want to play there as soon as possible, that’s my goal.”

It’s not clear when he might get the call from Dallas, though it’s likely to be sooner rather than later.

In the meantime, he’s doing what hockey rookies have to do: stay later after practice and pick up the pucks.

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