‘I like to fight hard’ | Helenius brings mature, competitive identity to Sabers

LAS VEGAS – Kalle Helenius smiled as he sat inside a suite served within Sphere in Las Vegas, overlooking the 160,000-square-foot screen that had as a backdrop for the NHL Draft and the small circular stage from which his younger brother’s name had just been called.

Konsta Helenius stood nearby speaking to a Buffalo Sabers scout, with other members of the organization and the Helenius family scattered around. As he glanced toward his brother in his royal blue jersey, Kalle was reminded of the years of work that had precipitated Konsta being selected by the Sabers with the 14th-overall pick.

“From a young age, I’ve seen him working hard,” Kalle said. “Today was the day that he was working for.”

Hard work, defensive reliability, and on-ice intelligence are the traits most often associated with Konsta Helenius, who was the third-ranked international skater in the draft by NHL Central Scouting Services. Sabers general manager Kevyn Adams said the forward was in the top 10 on the team’s draft board; that they were able to pick Helenius at 14 spoke to the high variance of opinions in what is considered a deep class.

In Helenius, the Sabres see a true centerman whose experience could ready him for a move to pro hockey in North America sooner rather than later.

“We see a winning hockey player,” Adams said. “Someone who’s going to play center for us and help us win hockey games.”

Konsta attributed his competitive nature – and by extension his desire to win – to growing up with a brother who was two years his elder. The two competed in sports ranging from soccer to basketball to badminton, and of course hockey. Kalle recalled one instance when, in an attempt to lift his older brother’s stick, Konsta delivered a high stick to Kalle’s face that required three stitches.

“He hates losing,” Kalle said. “Every time I won against him in the backyard, he wanted to play again until he won.”

Those battles helped forge Konsta’s on-ice identity. He’s listed at 5-foot-11 and 189 pounds, yet his physicality – his ability to win battles down low and create offense off the forecheck – is considered a strength. It’s allowed him to excel while playing against men since he was 16 years old in Liiga, the top professional league in Finland.

Helenius had 36 points (14+22) in 51 games this past season, the fourth-highest single-season total by an under-18 player in Liiga history behind current NHL forwards Aleksander Barkov, Mikael Granlund, and Kaapo Kakko. His 47 career points trail only Barkov among U-18 players in the league’s history.

Helenius’ sophomore campaign – and his subsequent point-per-game performance in the playoffs – earned him a place on Finland’s team at the men’s World Championship in May. He was 17 when that tournament began, playing against rosters partially comprised of NHL players.

“I think it was good for me to play against men because I like to battle hard,” he said. “I’m not the biggest guy, but I think I’m a very strong guy, and I think it was good for me.”