Olli Nikupeteri, who moved to Sweden at the age of 16, is the most unknown Finnish name in the SHL finals. He says the season went surprisingly well.
In the finals of the Swedish men’s hockey league, six Finns will compete for the SHL championship. Luleå will lead Färjestad 2-1 when the next final is played on Thursday night.
World champion with a long career in the NHL and KHL Sami Lepistö are the leading figures in the defense of Luleå. Also with another Finnish package, Julius Hongallahas NHL experience.
Striker Joonas Rask moved to Sweden in 2019 after five HIFK seasons. World Champion of Lions 2019, Juhani Tyrväinenthis season has aroused confusion and anger in Sweden with its colorful touches.
In Färjestad, a defender plays Jesse Virtanenwho left Sweden for Rauma Luko after the 2016–17 season.
The most unknown name to Finns is probably Luleå’s 19-year-old attacker Olli Nikupeterialthough this was included in the Young Lions team at the World Championships stuck in late 2021 due to corona chaos.
The fact that Nikupeteri is also involved in that Finnish team fighting for the Swedish championship surprises the man himself. The season at SHL is his first.
– The season is surprisingly good. I would not have thought in the summer that I would be able to play any games with the men, Nikupeteri tells Urheilu.
“Has been practicing defense for two and a half years”
In the regular season Nikupeteri played 33 league matches. In addition, there were 27 matches in the A-youth series. With three power points in the regular season, the same number has now been generated in the 13 SHL playoffs.
On the A-youth side, he played at a point-per-game pace (13 + 14).
In the first two finals, Nikupeteri only got a substitution for playing time, but in the third final he played for 12 minutes on the sidelines.
Nikupeter has not yet celebrated SHL’s power season with power points. But, for example, in the series of under-17s in Kärpi in the period 2018–19, as many as 68 power points were accumulated in 38 matches.
– This is only the first league season. I’ve always been more of an attacking head player, a puck player. When I came here, I practiced defending for two and a half years, so that little bit starts to succeed, Nikupeter thinks.
– I am, of course, satisfied with my role at the moment. After all, it’s great to play in the finals and the playoffs have come to play just fine.
Transfer to Sweden at the age of 16 – “It’s well gone”
After the mentioned Oulu period, Nikupeteri, who had made his career in Lämäri from Kemi, moved to Sweden and the Luleå organization. So this season is already the third in the western neighborhood.
– After the B2 period, I and another friend from Oulu in Luleå were in contact (Samu Romakkaniemi). We got pretty good teachers. I thought as a parent I would regret not going to try. Well, it’s gone.
In November, Nikupeter signed a contract with Luleå that will keep him for the next two seasons in Norrbotten County.
Luleå will lead the final series with wins 2-1, once the series has started with home wins.
In the first final, Luleå won 4–1, when Juhani Tyrväinen and Julius Honka, among others, scored. Färjestad then took the second match purely 4-0. The third final was tight, and Luleå won 5–4 when Sami Lepistö fed in extra time Einar Emanuelssonin paint.
– Färjestad is a good team, strong, big guys, concludes Nikupeter.
– All we have to do is play our own game. It stalled when it was lost, not played according to the system and the game was half-careless.
The fourth final match will be played on Thursday night at 8.30 pm Finnish time at the Färjestad home arena in Karlstad.
Sweden’s champion to strive for World Cup gold?
Nikupeter was a surprise name Antti Pennasen coaching on the Young Lions team for the rest of the year. At the World Championships for under-20s, Finland won 3-1 in Germany and 7-1 in Austria at Rogers Place in Edmonton. Finland then won a surrender victory from the Czech Republic until the Games were finally put on the package due to corona infections.
– It was a bigger surprise that I got into a tournament played in Sweden at the beginning of November. I wouldn’t have guessed it. I played well in the tournament, and the confidence came that I could get into the World Cup, Nikupeter said in December before the start of the youth games.
– It was a cool experience. Lots of nice guys and made new friends from there. Too bad it ran out. Let’s see in August if he’s on the team or not, Nikupeter says now.
The World Championships for under-20s will be played again in August. Even then, the venue is Edmonton.
Nikupeter’s debut season in the main series in Sweden has gone so far as to barely diminish the chances of continuing the tournament, which was interrupted in a confusing mood. Nikupeter may travel to Edmonton as a surprising Swedish champion.