Heinola patiently waiting for his opportunity in Jets camp

WINNIPEG – Talk about a transition.

On Jan. 5, Ville Heinola was part of a bronze medal winning team from Finland, putting the finishing touches on playing his third high-stakes game in four days. He was playing over 20 minutes per game for two weeks, a number that jumped to 24 in the bronze medal game and nearly 28 in the quarterfinal and semi-final.

Now it’s back to quarantine.

“It’s good to take a couple days off after that, but seven days is too much for me,” said Heinola. “I just want to get on the ice and focus on what’s going to happen next.”

Video: TRAINING CAMP | Ville Heinola

That leads to the big question. What is next for Heinola?

Truth is, he’s not sure. Naturally, his goal is to play in the National Hockey League this season. Shortly after being drafted 20th overall by the Jets in the 2019 NHL Draft, the left-handed defenceman played eight NHL games to start the 2019-20 campaign, scoring his first goal against the Pittsburgh Penguins.

He was briefly re-assigned to the Manitoba Moose before finishing his season on a loan to Lukko Rauma in Finland’s top league, putting up seven assists in 29 games.

Heinola was able to play in 19 more games with Lukko to start the 2020-21 campaign before the global pandemic forced Liiga to pause. He had 14 points in those games – 13 of which were assists – before suiting up for Finland at the 2021 World Juniors in Edmonton, AB.

He hasn’t had a chance to talk with the coaching staff just yet, but he already knows he’ll feel more comfortable in camp this time around.

“I know all the stuff, the coaches, and most of the guys there now. So, it’s way easier to go there,” said Heinola. “There isn’t anything new except for the new guys. It’s easier when I know the team.”

When he gets to camp, he’s hoping the five months of off-season work he put in while in Finland pays off. He feels stronger now and even thinks his skating, already an asset for the 19-year-old, improved.

The real test is the grind of the regular season.

“I wanted to make sure my body can handle that many games,” Heinola said, referencing how a usual NHL season is 82 games plus postseason. “I’m a young guy, so I need to get more strength, but the biggest thing was making sure I can play all those games without losing any power.”

Teams are allowed to carry a taxi squad (comprised of four to six players) this season, but Jets head coach Paul Maurice said during camp that he’d prefer not to have young players on that squad only practicing and perhaps not seeing game action for a lengthy period of time.

Time will tell how the roster will shake out. What helps is the fact the American Hockey League is set to get underway on Feb. 5, with the Jets affiliate – the Manitoba Moose – playing in the Canadian Division.

It’s another option for Heinola, but at this point, he’s not stressing about what’s to come.

“I’m just trying to live day-by-day and trying not to think about that too much,” he said. “I just want to get back on the ice.”