Riikka Sallinen was elected the third Finn in the Hockey Hall of Fame. Jari Kurri and Teemu Selänne have previously received similar honors.
Juuso Koskinen,
Riku Porvari
16:11 • Updated 16:12
Hockey player Riikka Sallinen, 49, has been elected a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame. The election was announced late Monday night in Toronto, Finland. Sallinen, who was asleep, did not hear about the choice until Tuesday from a surprising source.
– I had been tried to call at night from Canada, but I only noticed the calls in the morning. When I woke up, many friends had put congratulatory messages already in the evening and also early in the morning. That also became the reason for the calls from Toronto, Sallinen smiles in an interview with Sport.
Sallinen’s wonderful tribute is the third in Finnish history in the sport. Previously, Finnish men’s hockey players have been selected for the hockey honor gallery Jari Kurri and Teemu Selänne.
– They are, of course, the two toughest disc names in our country. However, there are so many hard names in Finnish hockey that if you are chosen as the third after Teemu and Jari, it is a great tribute.
– Admittedly, it feels really great, Sallinen adds.
Teemu Selänne congratulated Riikka Salli on Twitter on her election.
In addition to Sallinen, the Swedish brothers, who have played in the NHL for 17 years this year, have a place in the honorary gallery of hockey players Daniel and Henrik SedinSwedish Daniel Alfredsson and Canadian Roberto Luongo. In addition, an already deceased Canadian was named to the gallery Herb Carnegie as a major influence on the species.
– When you look at who else has been chosen, you can get into a great group. It can’t feel like good, Sallinen emphasizes.
A great career in the background
Sallinen’s Prize Cabinet is second to none.
In the women’s hockey national team, Sallinen won six World Championship bronzes, two Olympic bronzes and three European Championship gold medals. In 2018, at the age of 44, he became the oldest Olympic puck winner in Pyeongchang. She already grabbed her first Olympic medal in Nagano in 1998, when women’s hockey was on the Olympic program for the first time.
In the Women’s Championship League, Sallinen played a total of 11 seasons. Sallinen won five Finnish Championship gold medals, three of which were in the ranks of JYP. Sallinen, known for his multi-talent, has also played baseball at the top level. She has been selected as the female baseball player of the year three times.
Despite this, Sallinen was a little surprised by his choice. Sallinen is the first European woman to be nominated for an honorary gallery.
– At first I wasn’t sure if this is the Hockey Hall of Fame just for those who played in North America. Apparently there was an opportunity to get in, even though I myself haven’t played in North America at all, Sallinen says.
Founded in 1943, the Hockey Hall of Fame is located in Toronto, Canada. A maximum of four male players and two female players may be selected for the Hall of Fame each year. The election is decided by an 18-member committee, of which 15 must support the election. The first female hockey players were selected for the honorary gallery in 2010.
Sallinen currently works as a physiotherapist in Sweden, both in the public sector and in her own company with her husband. Petterin with.
Sallinen also reveals that he no longer intends to continue in coaching after the HV71 assistant coach was washed away.
– I have completely dropped out of coaching for hockey. I tried for a fair season how it feels. However, I like the work of a physiotherapist so much that I made the choice to continue down that path. In terms of time, I couldn’t do both at the same time, Sallinen opens his decision.