26-year-old Anton Levtchi has been aiming for the Finnish championship in Tappara since he put the skates on at the age of four.
The journey was cliché long, and not very easy. Finally, on Thursday night at 9.28 pm, he received a gold medal around his neck for a warm and emotional hug, Captain Tappara Otto Rauhala. The Tampere audience celebrated their hero with one of the toughest applause of the evening.
– It undeniably feels good. If last year he went to the ass, then now that he looks at his neck, it went pretty much better, Levtchi rejoices.
At the age of 26, Tappara’s own breeder has become one of the best and most skilled players in the Finnish Championship. The winner of the Finnish Championship regular season goal and points exchange has represented the club throughout his career, although it has not always been easy.
– He has played C-Juni when he is over and A when he is over. He has traveled a long way through Mestis to the SM League, where he initially played a small role. He has grown into that role, a teammate Kristian Tanus describes.
– I think the coaches have done a great job, but Anton has worked hard to stay here in the first place, even though he has known that there will not be as much responsibility as elsewhere, Tanus says.
From the start of Thursday’s match, there was no ambiguity about how much Levtchi wants to win the Finnish championship. When Joona Luoto Levtchi blew the Tampere arena into a deafening shout at just 35 seconds, Levtchi blew wildly, shouting in the exchange barn.
He was not merely ventilating, but frantically applied for additional paints. At eight minutes, he even made it halfway through, but this time he sniffed the snow from the top of the puck.
Later, Levtchi played the top spot Tyler Morley, whose company crashed into the pole. Still at the end of the opening round Waltteri Merelä betrayed a place for Levtch with two one-on-one attacks, but Tyler Steenbergen the high racket prevented the Tampere player from firing.
Merelä describes his chain mate not only as incredibly skilled and the best player in the series, but also very victorious.
– What people may not know about him, then he wants to win and he is very competitive, Merelä says.
Levtchi admits this.
– I want to win, just the same thing. Whether it’s a rock-paper-scissors or a hockey match. I don’t like losing. Now I won. And it feels like Satan, Levtchi says and sticks to his medal.
Levtchi could have won the Finnish championship already in the spring of 2017, when Tappara called him on the transfer line from LeK to the strength of the team.
He had time to play 13 games in the regular season, when the Finnish championship would have required at least 20 games in the regular season or one in the playoffs.
The championship has had to wait five long years after that.
– These have been for many years. A lot of work has been done and gone day by day. It’s worth doing a job that sometimes wins something. This has not come easily, Levtchi says.
When Levtchi, known as a skilled and creative player, is on the field, anything can happen, according to Tanus. Admittedly, Tanus emphasizes that there are many other things that viewers do not see.
– He has learned to defend in recent years and is a really versatile player.
And what is he like as a human being?
– What dare you say here now? She is really happy, positive and fun to follow. It might unite us why we are such good friends. The stuff is a little tired and kind of peculiar, Tanus throws.
– He’s a great person. He really takes others into account, he has a good sense of humor and is a great guy, Merelä says.
A masseur who has worked in Tappara since 1995 Veli-Matti Pohjosen the words also suggest that Levtchi is a humorous man on his team.
– Anton Levtchi is one of the coolest people I’ve ever met in hockey. Very helpful and sense of humor. He has such words that are recorded in the notebook and are laughed at every day, Pohjonen says.
– He always takes care of everyone. It is also easy to help him, Pohjonen continues.
Levtchi played an even smaller role in the post-championship spring 2017 season. The following season, he had already finished 23 points and doubled his points balance the following season.
In the last three seasons, he has completed at least 45 points during the season. This season culminated in the regular season at 26 + 35 = 61.
Sports Expert Topi Nättinen according to Levtchi is a good example of patience when many today are in a terribly intense rush for a career.
– Surely there have been times when he has wondered whether he should go somewhere else. He probably came to the conclusion pretty quickly that this is my place.
– Perhaps it was only in the last three years that gambling materialized. His athleticism has grown and his understanding of what it takes to be on top. This is a great crown in his career, Nättinen says.
The dream of the championship culminated on Thursday when Levtchi was allowed to lift a Canadian cup into the air in a crowded Arena.
In the embrace of Levtch and Tanus, in the midst of a festive humor, there was genuine joy in the achievement of another. Words were also exchanged.
Now Levtchi won.
However, he did not want to single out the biggest thanks.
– For the whole team. Yes we as a team did this together. Amazing coaching, amazing players and all the other backgrounds. A big thank you to the whole team, Levtchi decides.
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