London defeated Rouyn-Noranda 5-2 in round-robin play on May 24. If London wins Sunday, it would cap an incredible run for Juolevi, who joined the club after being selected in the first round (No. 45) of the Canadian Hockey League Import Draft last June.
Juolevi isn't measuring his success by championships alone, though. He's pleased with his improvement as a player, too.
"Just learning the difference between European and North American hockey … I can make faster decisions on the ice and am stronger in battles," Juolevi said. "It makes it easier to break into the NHL. You already know the North American game. Especially our team, we have [coach Dale Hunter] and those guys that have been in the NHL, and they know how things go there. They're preparing us for those things. I think it's a really big help for me, especially me coming from Europe."
Scouts have noted that development.
After a strong start to his season, Juolevi was ranked fifth among North American skaters on NHL Central Scouting's 2016 midterm list in January. In April, he retained his spot on Central Scouting's final ranking after recording 33 assists and 42 points in 57 regular-season games.
Only Jakob Chychrun of Sarnia, at No. 4, is ranked higher among North American defensemen. But Juolevi said being the first defenseman selected in the draft isn't a concern.
"It's more important that the team actually wants you and they think you're a good player and they need you and you're going to be a big part of their organization in the future," said Juolevi, who was named to the OHL's all-rookie second team. "I don't think being the first defenseman is that big of a deal."
That sentiment is typical of Juolevi, Jones said.
"He's a really good defenseman. He's a great guy too," Jones said. "I always find myself hanging out with him this year. He's always at my house or we're always going to do something. He's a really good guy. That's the most important part, is his character.
"Besides that fact, he's a great player too. He won the World Juniors. He put up a lot of points there. He's a good player. He shows it when he plays."
