The Finnish team is the oldest in the 21st century, and also the most experienced in the Tampere World Cup. Sports expert Ismo Lehkonen believes that at some point there may be a radical change of generation ahead.
The Lions have been playing phenomenally successful hockey in recent years, as the team has competed in the previous three value finals. The body of the team is experienced, and at the Tampere World Championships, the group is the most experienced in the tournament with an average age of 29.84.
All goalkeepers and 11 field players have turned 30, and as the graphics below show, the group is the oldest World Cup team in Finland in the 21st century. There are 18 Olympic gold medalists in the group, and a champion coach Jukka Jalonen has relied on familiar, successful players.
– In principle, it must be said that it is quite difficult to dump Olympic gold players out. Age racism is not a good fit for competitive sports, and the team has more than four field players. Jalonen trusts in certain things when it comes to winning, Sport’s expert Ismo Lehkonen notes.
– Of course, all of us would have liked to see even younger blood involved, but this is the sport. It is a good reflection of the size of the country that it is difficult to break into a team, even if it has played well in the SM League or Sweden.
For example, Lehkonen lifts a chain that has made a great mark on TPS’s shirt Markus Nurmi – Juuso Pärssinen – Mikael Wipewhose time was at least not yet. Nurmi got close, but the race pass was left unmarked.
– The dominance they showed in the league was far from enough. An additional year or two of tires are needed. It’s a great situation to have so many quality players. It is not a question of dredging young people, but of quality factors.
Once you’ve seen the end result, it’s always easy to be wise about your choices. In recent years, Jalonen’s choices have hardly been criticized once the result has been achieved.
– A couple of million Finns always like to build a team of their own, but things change when they are in charge of the coach’s pants. I don’t know of any coach who would have consciously chosen a worse player or team, Lehkonen laughs.
Generational change inevitably ahead
The age president of the team is the 38-year-old captain Valtteri Filppula, who is the first Finn to apply for admission to the three – gold club as an extension of the Stanley Cup and Olympic gold. 37 years old Marko Anttila and reach the same age in June Juuso Hietanen are players who may no longer be on the national team after these games.
The youth in the now-emerging group are represented in the summer by the age of 23 Miro Heiskanen and 24 years old Jere Innala. Lehkonen believes that at some point a situation may arise where numerous new players will be seen at the World Cup.
– There may be a generational change where even well over half of the team are first-timers. These are tough races where experience matters and there must be annual rings.
– Finland will face positive challenges in the coming years, and it will be interesting to see how the generational change can be successfully reversed. In a country crazy, the demand is tough, and only winning is worth it.
Lehkonen reminds that Finland has played good games in its twenties, but jumping from there to the World Championships to play a gold medal is behind a long marinade.
– Very few players are able to take an immediate lead in a men’s race except maybe Alexander Barkovin, Sebastian Ahon and Anton Lundellin types of exceptions.
Lehkonen talks about the Olympics, during which he should take steps to become the leading player in the adult trough.
– During that time, you are a winning player in the Finnish Championship League, you will be able to come to the EHT level to play a quality punch, and perhaps the first World Cup invitation will come through. You learn the clothes, update your tools, and gain experience of where to be better.
Who are the new responsibilities?
The best young players leave for North America early on, and nothing can ever be counted on them in World Cup speculation. Centers in the NHL, for example, are in Barkov, Ahon, Roope HintzinUnder the leadership of Lundell and partners, tougher than ever, but in Europe the situation is not quite the same.
– Even Persian goes to North America, and there are an awful lot of cents there. I can’t find them as much in Europe, and fall 27 years old Hannes Björninen will carry a big box in the future. The league may come to mind for Tappara Patrik VirtaLehkonen ponders.
– The goalkeeper department is fine. Defenders in Sweden, for example Julius Honkaand Vili Saarijärvi moved to Switzerland. We have discus defenders, and lots of very different style piers, like Eemeli FinlandNurmea, Innala and Eetu Slippery.
The home World Cup tournament will also be played in Tampere next year, and according to Lehkonen, that will change things a bit. Even more experienced players can be a big motivator to experience home drugs again next spring.
– Yes, it’s tickling there. All I see as a good thing is that the more experienced want to cram new home races and they will see its bright light reflected there during the summer and fall. However, the chances of winning a big stick at home races are rare.
So which of the younger players could get up to knock on the doors of next year’s race team? Lehkonen turns his gaze to Turku.
– Mikael Pyyht comes to mind. And what is a defender Eemil Viron situation, is he still returning from North America? For players of this style, I would expect one more super season in the league and a breakthrough in the next home races.
“I hope for a very strong Finnish Championship”
The European puck field will be significantly revolutionized by the removal of KHL from the map in the form in which it has been known for the last 14 years. Lehkonen expects and hopes for a strong Finnish Championship League, which will benefit from the top players released from Russia and will also provide a springboard to the Lions.
– I like this very much. The distances in Finland are quite short, and I dare say that although 60 games are played in the regular season, the clubs will tighten their practice between days and dare to do developmental exercises with young players.
– As young players get more responsibility, they also develop. When more and more players like TPS start number one and the league is able to prepare them, it will be good for Finnish hockey.
Its own case is the Ice Hockey World Cup, which is scheduled to be played next in the middle of the season in February 2024. Jalonen’s contract as head coach covers the next season, and it also has an option for the period 2023–2024.
When the best in the world come together in time, the average age of the Lions will be barely as high as at the World Cup. The choice of top players is plentiful.
– It’s an interesting ball sea. When we look at how our leading players have played in the regular season and the playoffs in the NHL, we find six good pitchers, six good chains on the chain and five pairs of very high quality defenders. The goalkeepers don’t get caught either, Lehkonen lists.
– Jukka (Jalonen) is definitely digging into the interior, so that the best players could not compete in the Olympics. Hopefully the tournament will be completed within a year as we have a lot of players in leadership roles at the optimal age.
Jalonen’s teams have always invested in a good atmosphere, and players are allowed to join without the pressure of being the number one player.
– Circle of friends as if to meet, and, for example, Barkov or Mikael Granlundin there does not have to be first horses or carrying forces. Josonen has a certain way of playing that players trust, and players can be planted in it as a single block.