FINLAND’S GOLD GLUE GUY

THE ENDURING IMAGE OF Finland’s world junior gold will be of Kasperi Kapanen swinging around the Russian net for a wraparound overtime goal that nearly melted the concrete of Hartwall Arena. But the path to that tally was forged by Sebastian Aho and his two linemates, 2016 draft stars Jesse Puljujarvi and Patrik Laine. The latter two went on to be named to the WJC all-star team, and Puljujarvi won overall MVP honors, but they couldn’t have done it without Aho, a Carolina Hurricanes second-rounder who doesn’t usually play center but certainly faked it well enough. “He was amazing,” Laine said. “He will pass those smart passes and when he gets the spot, he scores.” Aho finished second in tournament scoring behind Puljujarvi, which is pretty hot considering he was also the…

THE INSTIGATOR

SPLIT SQUAT with Dumbbells

Hockey players are often one-side dominant, so balancing out any asymmetries is important in off-ice training. Here is an exercise that Major uses regularly with Doan. 1 Stand in a staggered stance with your rear foot elevated on a bench and your front foot forward. 2 Hold a dumbbell in each hand and let them hang at your sides. 3 Lower your body while maintaining good posture. Keep your front knee in line with your foot without it going past your toes. 4 At the bottom, drive through your heel to extend the knee and hip to return to the starting position. 5 Finish the set on one side then repeat on the other.…

ANDY’S RAGGEDY GAME FITS KINGS

IT CAN BE INTIMIDATING ENOUGH FOR rookies to enter an NHL dressing room, but how does it work when you’re trying to break in with the Kings? After all, Los Angeles has won two Stanley Cups in the past four seasons, its roster features a host of veteran stars such as Anze Kopitar, Drew Doughty and Jonathan Quick, and it’s coached by the high-profile Darryl Sutter. For left winger Andy Andreoff, the answer is surprisingly low-key. “It was pretty easy,” he said. “The guys brought us into the family, and we’re all pretty close.” Bringing a tough edge to the fourth line, Andreoff, 24, is one of several youngsters who have augmented the Kings’ lineup this year, joining Michael Mersch and Nick Shore. Hailing from Pickering, Ont., Andreoff was taken in…