Emil Larmin, 26, has had a dazzling season as a hockey player. He played a great season, won the Swedish championship and was selected as the most valuable player of the playoffs.
However, these are not the most important reasons why Larmi smiles so widely. She is having a baby in about a month.
– Yes, all in all, the last year has been a pretty incredible time. When everything outside the rink is so well modeled. Good to be in that life. Definitely a big thank you goes home for being easy to enjoy, Larmi tells Urheilu.
Larmi already told Urheilu about a special moment during the season, when he returned home after a match that went “in the notebook”.
– It was good that I could fit in the door when I got home. Such a big peg grew on his forehead. Then at home that same evening, for the first time, I felt my own child’s kick.
– That moment put things into perspective and opened up what is really most important. There will be a relieving and balanced feeling that hockey is just hockey. Some things remain the same regardless of how things go in the rink, Larmi told .
Larmi, who made his World Cup debut in the home games, has become the Lions’ number one goalkeeper. On Thursday, he will get to save in the quarter-final against Canada.
– Definitely a very great opportunity. These are the places everyone wants to get to. I definitely enjoyed that night.
According to Larmi, the Ykkösvahti plot is a great sign of trust.
– I also see for myself that I can play (at this level). On the other hand, I knew it. Why can’t I? I’ve just been enjoying hockey. However, playing is the best part of this job.
Larmi took care of his plot
The Lions’ goalkeeper coach Kari Lehtonen can see that Larmi has been able to handle the extra tension brought by home games well.
Lehtonen reflects the situation on the starting points. Although Larmi has rejected the championship in both Sweden and Finland, he made his debut in the national team this season.
– Now, with home games as an extra and the expectations of the home crowd, you could imagine that it would be easy to get excited. But I’ve found that hasn’t been the case. He has handled the matter well and has been the man in his place.
– If you were to go off, you would have to calm down and pull the reins tighter. But there was no need to do that. He hasn’t even thought about leaving, says Lehtonen.
Mental health challenges
Larmi has wanted to talk about mental well-being and mental health during this season. He wrote on Instagramthat despite living the best time of his life, things have not always been as good as they are now.
– It is important to understand that things are not always what they seem. Everyone has ups and downs. You can never know what situation the other person is in, Larmi wrote in his message.
Larmi has said for example for MTV, that he had challenges with the head coach during his North American trip. After HPK’s championship spring, Larmi was part of the Pittsburgh Penguins organization and played almost two seasons in the AHL and ECHL.
– I want to highlight how everyone has their own story, and how everyone has their worst moments. For some, the darkest cancers go even deeper when it comes to life and mental health. It’s okay to talk about things and no one is alone, Larmi explained his update to MTV.
In his last season, he played only six games in the AHL with a save percentage of 84.5. The Leijonat defender who celebrated the Finnish championship with Larmi at HPK Niklas Friman can see that the trip has definitely developed the goalkeeper.
– However, that mental side is really important to Veskar. From what I have understood, he has definitely grown in that area as well, says Friman.
A necessary opportunity
Larmi has played the best puck of his career this season. When asked about the background to the success, however, he reminds us that the foundation has already been laid before.
– It does not consist of a certain moment, from which the awards are collected. Definitely the work that has been done, the ups and downs that have been along the way. However, they have all brought me to this point.
Larmi’s career took off in the 2015–16 season in Peliitoi. The goalkeeper, who worked hard, got a chance at Mestis at the age of 19 due to injuries and suspensions, even though he was the triple goalkeeper of Pelicans’ A-youths.
In his first game, Larmi made 40 saves and a clean sheet.
– After that it was just getting up. Larmi took off like a rocket right away, Peliitto’s goalkeeper coach at the time Santeri Matikainen recalled back in the day Ilta-Sanom
Matikainen told the magazine that Larmi is an example of how important it is to get a place on the screen.
– Here you can see that sometimes you just have to get a chance. Some have talent, but the opportunity has been missed, Matikainen saw.
Hard work and the desire to develop and succeed are still visible in Larmi, according to Friman.
– He is very competitive. Even if we were left after the ice to drag a hundred cross passes, he throws himself in front of every puck, wherever he can. He has a competitive nature.
– And a little bit of velmo in civilian clothes. Recognizes as a veskar, Friman carves.
Sweaty evening talk
It has been great from Larmi to become the number one goalkeeper in Leijon. However, the goalkeeper sees his position as one person in a group of around 20 people.
– You don’t really think about who is playing and how much. I feel that I am one part of the group. We need everyone to succeed, Larmi struggles, but laughs afterwards:
– If you could still talk, it would make this job easier.
Against Canada, Larm doesn’t have to talk, he has to block pucks. It’s known to be sweaty in the evening, because Canada shoots a lot and delivers the puck to the goal even from small angles.
– I definitely believe that it will be a big challenge in this tournament. I don’t see the slightest reason why we can’t make it.
– Let’s go make those famous own things and enjoy it. Let’s grab all the power we can get from the public and let’s start to overthrow that country.
Finland and Canada will meet on Thursday at 20:20 in Tampere. follows the events of the match moment by moment in the application and on the website.