Heinola said the biggest thing he learned was that he needs to be stronger, both to withstand the physical play at the NHL level and to be able to shoot the puck with more authority and have a harder, heavier shot. He also wants to be smarter in his own end, but said having this experience has made him think the game a bit differently.
"When there are stronger guys against you, you have to be more clever and think about the game more because you can't beat them physically," said the 5-foot-11, 180 pound blueliner. "You have to think more about what they're going to do so you can be in a position to stop them."
His ability to out-think an opponent is one of the many reasons the Jets drafted Heinola in June.
"He's a real smart player," said Jets assistant general manager Craig Heisinger. "His forte is his escapability in the d-zone between the goal line and the back wall. His ability to make plays with his hands, which are really, really good and his hockey sense are what make him effective and are able to get him out of trouble, if needed.
"His ability to read the play and make the first pass - even if it's just a simple play - is one of his strengths," he continued. "It doesn't have to be anything that everybody's going to notice. Maybe just a chip off the wall to the winger that's swinging that nobody else notices, but he's paying attention. Those are his strengths. He's not a flashy player, just a safe, steady, reliable guy."
While the door closed on him playing in North America this year, it opened the door for him to play at the 2020 IIHF World Junior Championship in Czech Republic and help Team Finland go for back-to-back gold medals.
"I've been watching this tournament since I was a child," he said, smiling at the memories. "I didn't really think that I could be one of those players until I was 16 and played in my first game in the Finnish League. Then, I thought maybe there's a chance. To make it last year as an underage player was a dream come true and it's an honor to be here again this year."
It's an opportunity the Jets are excited for him to have.
"There's always value in playing at this tournament," Heisinger said. "You're playing against your peers, for your country, under lots of pressure especially with the great crowds here. So, there's always value in being here. It's a great opportunity for him to get better and, as an organization, we like putting our players in situations that help them develop and be successful."
Through four games in the preliminary round, Heinola has four assists and is averaging 15 minutes a game.
"Ville is a top player to our team and a key part of our power play," said Raimo Helminen, head coach of Team Finland. "He's getting better with each game and you can see that he is more comfortable. We are happy with how he is playing and helping the team."
Finland will face USA in the quarterfinals on Thursday and, in addition to going for another gold medal, Heinola is grateful for the opportunity to play in tough games against the best players in his age group and said that even just hanging out and training with his teammates is really good for him.
"When you work with the best players in your country, there's a lot of competition and we're all pushing each other to be better," he said. "We all want to win. We all want to improve. We're all working hard to make it to the NHL and have long careers. Being around other people like that can only make you better. Being here and being part of this team is a very big accomplishment that many other young players don't get to have and I am very proud to be here and contribute to the team."
He paused and smiled before continuing, "But, I will be more proud when we win another gold medal."
