Kakko skipping NHL Scouting Combine to celebrate Finland's gold medal

Projected top-two pick Kaapo Kakko is not attending this week's NHL Scouting Combine.

The 18-year-old's agent, Mike Liut, said his client is missing the combine in order to celebrate his gold medal victory with Finland at the 2019 IIHF World Championship.

"Kaapo is not skipping the combine, but circumstances such as a late World Championship schedule and country celebration prevent him from attending," Liut said, according to NHL.com's Mike Morreale.

"It's important to understand the World Championship is the Stanley Cup for countries outside North America."

The combine started Monday and runs through Saturday at the KeyBank Center and HarborCenter in Buffalo, N.Y., where 103 prospects are participating in interviews and fitness testing.

Kakko is widely expected to be the second overall pick - which is held by the New York Rangers - behind American center Jack Hughes.

The winger led TPS Turku with 22 tallies this season, setting a Liiga record for goals by a player 18 years old or younger. Kakko also scored the golden goal at the world juniors in the dying minutes of the championship game and notched six tallies at the worlds this month in Slovakia.

Kakko is the top-ranked European skater heading into June's draft. His NHL fate will be determined June 21 in Vancouver, British Columbia.

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