Chicago Blackhawks: Getting To Know Teuvo Teravainen

Jun 8, 2015; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Blackhawks left wing Teuvo Teravainen (86) controls the puck ahead of Tampa Bay Lightning left wing Ondrej Palat (18) in the second period in game three of the 2015 Stanley Cup Final at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports

Yesterday sure was a busy day for the Chicago Blackhawks!  They drafted 7 new young players, traded for another new face from the New York Rangers AHL affiliate, and bid farewell to the affable Antti Raanta.  Although exciting, none of these names are likely to make any impact on next year’s team.  These young men will be put in their respective spots in the system for further development and seasoning before we hear much about them again.

Meanwhile, Patrick Sharp, Bryan Bickell, Kris Versteeg, and perhaps a few others are still awaiting their fate.  Will they remain Chicago Blackhawks?  And if not, where will they end up?

One thing we do know for sure is that 2012 draft pick Teuvo Teravainen will be a Chicago Blackhawk next year, and he will definitely have an immediate impact on the team.  While we endure the seemingly endless wait until October, let’s take advantage of this opportunity to look a little more in depth at some of the players, starting with Baby TT.

Now Baby TT is my personal nickname for Teuvo, mainly because his initials are TT, and he’s only 20 years old, so he’s quite the baby to me.  It’s also very easy to write and to say.  When Teravainen played with the Rockford IceHogs, his teammates called him Turbo.  I’ve also heard a few of the Blackhawks players refer to him as Turbo in interviews.  And teammate Marian Hossa once said, “He doesn’t seem to have a heartbeat. He’s so calm. He’s Finnish cold.”

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But I’m getting ahead of myself.  Let’s start with the basics.  Teuvo Teravainen was born on 9/11/94 in Helsinki, Finland.  His father is a dentist, and he has a younger brother and sister.  His brother Euro also plays hockey as a defenseman for the Jokerit U18 team.  Teuvo is currently listed as 5’11’, and weighs 178 lbs.  His natural position is Center, and he shoots left.

Teuvo is also a product of Jokerit’s youth system.  He played on the team in the 2011-12 season at the age of 17, where he was named rookie of the year.  He continued to play for Jokerit for the next 2 seasons.  He was eventually promoted to be the team’s top line centerman, and was named the team captain when the other captain went out with an injury.  He ended his final season with 44 points in 49 games.

Meanwhile, Teuvo was drafted by the Chicago Blackhawks in 2012.  He was ranked the second best skater out of Europe by the NHL Central Scouting Bureau.  He ended up being drafted in the first round, 18^th overall.  He attended the Blackhawks training camp, but then went back to Jokerit for his final season with them.

Teuvo also participated on an international level in the World Junior Championships in both 2013 and 2014.  In 2013, Teuvo scored 11 points, which was good for fourth in the tournament.  In 2014, he was named captain of the team, and Finland won the tournament by defeating Sweden in overtime.  Teuvo was the overall leading scorer of the tournament.