GETTY IMAGES BECKETT HOCKEY^5
Filthy
I
t was as greasy a play as you’re likely to
see. Eighteen-year-old Finnish phenom Kaapo
Kakko, with his team trailing Austria 1-0 at
the 2019 World Championships, picked up the
puck behind center ice, danced around a poke
check, eluded a sliding defender, skated past
a hopelessly beaten goaltender and, from
behind the net, tucked in the equalizer on the
short side.
“Kakko,” marveled ESPN’s John Buc-
cigross, “is Finnish for filthy.”
This wasn’t just a highlight. It was an-
other jaw-dropper in a growing series of
them from a player who is making a late
push to become the first pick in the 2019
NHL Draft.
You almost have to pity the New Jersey Devils, who beat their lottery odds
of 11.5 percent to land the top selection. Back when they won the prize in
April, it was widely assumed that American center Jack Hughes was the obvi-
ous choice. Now, they’ve got some serious thinking to do after Kakko made a
declarative statement with Team Finland in Slovakia.