Kärpät won bronze last season. The expectation is that there will be more success. Marko Anttila is still looking for the missing league championship.
Oulun Kärpät has prepared for the starting league season by assembling a team with a strong roster.
The goal king of the regular season continues in last season’s bronze team Teemu Turunenand as a new confirmation the second in the scorers list, Reid Gardiner from JYP. There are several foreigner confirmations.
To Marko Anttila the starting season is the third in the kärpä jersey. After last season’s bronze, there can only be one goal, the missing championship. New for the season is that the shirt has the letter C as the captain’s sign.
– Personally speaking, the missing championship is the only thing that moves you forward as a player. We have practiced hard and played good practice matches. The team has several leading players and the receptivity within the team is at a good level. Even the old man is excited here, laughs Anttila.
Anttila promises active Oulu ice hockey.
– Playing all-round in an even game and being the number one player are my strengths. We invest in the beginning of the sets, we play challenging the opponent, sums up Anttila.
A strong crew gathered in Mäntymaa
The head coach Ville Mäntymaa is quite confident during the season. The biggest changes have been made to the attacking team. The league success before last season’s bronze was in places 7-9, so the direction is up. During the six-week camp, solutions have been sought.
– In the practice games, pairs have been searched for that work best together. We have three steady lines and a fourth fielder doing rough work. Now the players have peace of mind to do their work, and then we will see over the course of the season if there is a need to react in the player market, says Mäntymaa.
Sports Director Mikko Myllykoski according to that, there are no new players in sight now, even though the team may not be ready.
– I think I jokingly said in one of the players’ bulletins that the assembly of this team is done. Of course it’s not, but the situation is good at the moment, says Myllykoski.