Blackhawks' Teuvo Teravainen excited to fulfill Olympic dreams with Finland — once the rink is finished

WASHINGTON — It's not like anyone has been badgering him to find out, but Blackhawks forward Teuvo Teravainen did successfully keep a secret for weeks that he had been selected for Finland's Olympics roster.

Finnish coach Antti Pennanen let him know back in December that he would see his name on the roster that was officially announced Friday.

For now, Teravainen is slated to be the Hawks' lone Olympian — tying them with the Islanders for the fewest representatives — as NHL players head to the tournament for the first time since 2014.

"It's a dream come true," Teravainen said Saturday. "My age group hasn't had the chance to play in the Olympics, so it's kind of weird. ... I'm sure everybody is going to be so excited and the hockey is going to be great. Hopefully they get the rink done."

Indeed, NHL players have closely followed news out of Milan, Italy, about the state of the Olympic hockey arena under construction. The CBC reported Saturday that the question is whether it will be "finished enough" in time to host games in February, because it isn't going to be completely finished.

The ice surface itself will reportedly be more than three feet shorter than NHL regulations, too. And the neighborhood in which it's located isn't exactly well-developed or convenient to the Milan city center.

"There better be good pasta or pizza," Teravainen quipped with a smile.

Team Finland's medal hopes suffered a blow when Aleksander Barkov tore his ACL during Panthers training camp, but they still have some big stars in Mikko Rantanen, Sebastian Aho, Miro Heiskanen and Juuse Saros.

Teravainen didn't receive much playing time during the 4 Nations Face-off last February, so he's understandably hoping for more this time around. He entered Saturday with 19 points in 39 NHL games for the Hawks this season, although his defensive skills are his primary calling card.

"I’m super happy for Teuvo," Hawks coach Jeff Blashill said. "It’s a great opportunity. They don’t come around much. [As] we’ve seen, even when you think it might happen, sometimes it doesn’t happen. So you cherish these moments to represent your country."

Connor’s progress

Hawks star Connor Bedard skated individually again Friday and graduated to shooting pucks — something he wasn't allowed to do Monday, the first time he was seen on the ice.

It seems conceivable Bedard could return to action within a week or so, although Blashill said he doesn't have a definitive timeline to share yet.

"He’s definitely progressing," Blashill said. "He feels good. He’s certainly excited to be out there shooting, and it looked like he was ripping it pretty good."

Teuvo the mentor

The Hawks have created an effective line by slotting Teravainen alongside rookie forwards Nick Lardis and Oliver Moore, the latter of whom is playing center for the first time in the NHL.

Teravainen's calm personality, veteran experience and defensive acumen help stabilize the two wide-eyed, hot-footed youngsters.

"Sometimes they're in...the wrong spots, but they're learning," Teravainen said. "It's been fun to play with them, for sure. [They bring] a lot of speed and excitement. I'm just trying to be in the right spots for them and give them the puck."

He described Moore's speed as "crazy" and attested that his playing style "fits well at center," which matches what everyone watching from above has seen.

"We've been doing a pretty good job of getting the puck and starting moving right away," Teravainen added. "We're not just flipping pucks. We're trying to hold it and skate it together to the other end. That's how we create some [offensive] zone time."