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The general public always only sees the surface. Two sensational shutouts in a week in the Ottawa Senators jersey in the NHL are just the scratch, or icing, of the 22-year-old Leevi Meriläinen right now in a beautiful cake on the surface.
Before playing zero games with rookie status in the world’s toughest hockey league was even possible, tuition fees had to be paid at different levels.
It has been clichéd to suffer and grow.
And yet Meriläinen is on the move on time. It is not common for a goaltender to start making serious progress in the NHL at the age of 22. Many goalkeepers mature slowly and clearly beat field players later.
He was tested last season.
Ottawa wanted to play the farm series in the AHL with two of its more meritorious goalkeepers than the Mariners, so it was decided to send him to the farm, the ECHL team Allen Americans. Allen is a suburb of about 100,000 residents in Texas, north of Dallas-Fort-Worth.
The East Coast Hockey League has often been reported to be far from the level of a credible professional league. The series has also been described as a “badass league” in the descriptions of puck players.
– Mentally it was difficult. It really tested me and made me grow, Meriläinen recalls to Urheilu.
– There I had to think about whether this sportsmanship and level offered by the ECHL is what I set out to get in North America. Of course, I knew that I would soon get out of there and hopefully back to the AHL.
If Meriläinen, originally from Oulu, had learned professionalism during the high-quality Kärppie goalie pipeline, SM league, AHL and a couple of NHL stints, he didn’t get to enjoy that at the farm’s farm.
– It was quite an interesting set. The level of play was not up to par, nor was the athleticism at the level I was used to. It came quite in the face there. Quite often, the physiotherapist brought donuts to the training sessions. Half an hour before training, the guys pulled on donuts and jumped from it onto the ice.
– I understood that now I have to sharpen myself, because others are not very interested and my goal is the NHL.
The constant competition prepared for the big moment
And in the name of honesty, Meriläinen didn’t even get anything for free in the juniors. In Kärpi, the competition was tough for goalkeepers born in the early 2000s. Kärppie’s long-time goalkeeper coach spoke about this earlier in an interview with Urheilu Ari Hilli.
In addition to Meriläinen, Kärpät has produced for the NHL Justus Annusen, by Joel Blomqvist and Niklas Kokon.
– For example, in B trains (Blomqvist et Juuso Ojalan with) it was not a matter of course for me that I would get to play. By no means did we turn our teeth into a grin, but there was always a little competition and in small games you tried to beat the other.
– It is part of this job that there are extortionists. Things can’t get too loose, says Meriläinen.
Meriläinen says that Kärpi has not become a top goalkeeper by chance. High-quality coaching, goalkeepers and various camps became familiar to the boys already as toddlers.
In addition to Hill, Meriläinen freely praises the one who later became the goalkeeper coach of Detroit’s AHL team Roope from Koist.
– The hardest thing is his work ethic. He put such hours of work in front of us that many people cannot fathom.
High-quality training, long-term work, tenacity and fierce competition seem to have prepared Meriläinen well for the most important opportunity of this career so far. Ottawa’s third-round pick from four years ago has grabbed the No. 1 goaltender Linus Ullmark’s to the opportunity opened by the injury in a wonderful way.
Played in the NHL for a long time Anton Forsberg is already in Meriläinen’s breast pocket.
In the four previous matches, Meriläinen has allowed only three hits. In three of these matches, not a single goal was scored in regular time. The save percentage of the eight matches played is 93%.
Meriläinen saved 0.78 goals per hour played, more than expected goals. The reading is the ninth best in the entire NHL.
– Every day I want to show in training and especially in games that I belong here. That I’ll be fine here. I want to show that this is where I want to be.
Meriläi has been prepared for this kind of competitive and pressure situation since the leap years. Enthusiastic about the game and training, the young goalkeeper approaches the delicious opportunity with analytical calm.
– You have to adapt to the speed of the game in the NHL. The players are smarter here, the stages can be found and there are more masks. You have to read the game more and know where everyone is going all the time. If someone drowns even a little bit, we’re about to be late.
Finland vs Sweden
It is also the case that Meriläinen emerged at just the right time. Ottawa, which has been floundering for years in a confused state, has a new head coach by Travis Green finally found an NHL-level groove for his five-man and defensive play. It also makes it easier for the Marine.
– Under the new coach, it is clear to everyone what needs to be done, especially on the defensive end. We’ve actually been playing a really good defensive game lately. Jätki should be given a lot of credit for that, he praises.
The hot question after the last few weeks is: what will Ottawa do with its goaltending department when Ullmark will presumably return to action in the next few weeks? According to the club’s point of view, is Meriläinen ready for the NHL, or will it be put to further maturation in the ranks of the AHL team Belleville?
It is entirely possible that Swedish Forsberg will find himself on the transfer list when Ullmark returns.
– It sounds boring, but we go here one day at a time. At the end, you will be told whether you are playing or not and where you are going. All you can do is wait and see. In any case, this trip has given me faith. I’ve been allowed to play and show what I’m capable of, says Meriläinen.
He does not see a possible farm command as a troll. The games in the NHL have given proof that the career is in the right direction.
– Absolutely. The NHL trip has brought a lot of boost to the work. Life here is so much nicer than in the AHL. With a big budget, everything is done well. It gives strength to want to come back here quickly, Meriläinen concludes.