All news and speech topics in the NHL’s four -country tournament can be found here.
Seasons are not brothers, they say. With his club in the summer of Arizona from Salt Lake City, a defender who moved to Utah Juuso Välimäki26, in the previous two seasons, in an amazing way, have the same features. At least for the weak moments.
In both the past and the current season, the Nokian defender has had to get momentum from time to time in the audience, and even in a confusing way around the same time.
When in January 2024, Välimäki fell from a playable line -up after the match of January 27, this year the same happened after January 26th. Since then, this has not played.
So Välimäki arrived at the NHL’s top four countries of a difficult situation. The defender who has worked for the world through Ilves has not been in real action for over two weeks.
In fact, Välimäki was also on the sideline lineup earlier in November, after which he played a strong episode. The same year happened back. Ret to play in February 2024, Välimäki played his best game of the season.
– Maybe there has been a bit of the same pattern this season. Then I don’t know what is it. The player never wants to be out of the line -up. Perhaps a little extra motivation is that I no longer want to the audience, Välimäki told Sports.
Self -image brighter
What kind of player Juuso Välimäki is at the NHL level has so far been obscured. A defender flashed a transfer from Calgary to Arizona a couple of years ago after getting his ability in a reel game, finally making a comfortable 34 power points.
A year back, 17 points were born and now there are five (2+3) in February.
At the same time, the overpowering liability has fallen from two years ago to five minutes to fifteen seconds per game. The total game time has also dropped by two and a half minutes.
On the other hand, Välimäki is not profiled to defend the defense period. At the same time, however, Välimäki’s play has been taken more towards killing the ice.
The clarification of a player profile could take the NHL career forward.
– After all, it has been all kinds of things. Everything is influenced by my role. I may not have been able to play as much as I wanted and what I’m used to. It changes gaming.
– There are also a variety of metrics on how to watch gaming. It is easy to criticize the statistics, but it is only a small part of the game, Välimäki outlines.
Välimäki is the seventh defender in the wound in the rotation of a healing defender equipment. At least the situation of the Finn was not facilitated by the player trade at the end of the year, bringing in another defender Olli Määttäwho has played great in Utah.
Välimäki has lost his place in the last few weeks Nick to Desimonefor an unchanged 30-year-old basic pack.
Välimäki says self -confidence is the most important thing even when there is no ice time.
– The spiritual side is the biggest thing when I’m on the sidelines. I want to keep my confidence high because it’s a really big part of the game. If things go inside your head and you dare not play the game, it usually doesn’t go very well. This has been the biggest thing for myself in my career. All you have to do is trust yourself and play as the skills give.
According to his own words, Välimäki, which became a father in the fall, has tried to look more positively in difficult moments.
– Of course, I want to be better every day, develop and move forward in my career, but maybe the world of thought has also changed slightly in this regard. I don’t always want to be terribly negative. This is pretty good, though, Välimäki recalls.
Oxygen from the national team tournament
The top national team’s top tournament will bring Välimäki an excellent rhythm change to the heavy NHL. From their defense equipment Miro Heiskanen and Rasmus Ristolainen The lost Finland is in dire need of top -notch features from its defenders.
There would also be responsibility for Välimäki, but against the US, the Finnish lineup did not fit in Välimäki and the attackers Kaapo Kakko.
– Of course, this is a great screen. There has been a lot of this season, but I’ve been trying to stay positive all the time. Even so, it’s great to be able to play and show how well I can play. There could be no much better place to give screens when they are the best in the world, Välimäki said before the tournament.
– I want to show everyone, but most to myself, how I can play.
Välimäki is also excited as NHL players finally gets to measure each other in national team shirts.
– This has been needed. This tournament is a great thing for the whole hockey community and the world of slopes. It is really great that this has been achieved. Let’s put the best in the ask and see who is the best.
Although Välimäki himself has been sitting in the last week in the audience, there is plenty of credit to make his own.
– I know how good I can be and I am. More now, it is about daring to just bring it to the ice every day.
All news and speech topics in the NHL’s four -country tournament can be found here.