No less than 15 players from the SM league will be seen in the Finnish EHT tournament in the Leijonapaida, four of whom will debut in the A national team for the first time. We asked what they offer to Leijon.
Juuso Koskinen,
Jussi Saarinen
The season of the Finnish men’s national ice hockey team starts on Thursday with the EHT tournament in Turku, where Finland hosts Sweden, Switzerland and the Czech Republic. On the opening day of the tournament, you can measure the fitness of the Lions in the match against Switzerland starting at 18:30.
SM league players are prominently represented during the weekend. No less than three league players on the field are cooling down in Leijon, of which KalPan made his debut in the A national team Aapeli Räsänenof HPK Eetu LiukasKooKoon Joose Antonen and TPS Mikael Wipes.
– It’s a great honor to be able to wear the Leijonpaita. Being selected for the national team gives a lot of kick to the fall, now we can fully enjoy ourselves, says Aapeli Räsänen in a preliminary interview with Urheilu.
The 24-year-old center, who is playing in Kuopio for the third year, has blossomed this season. Räsänen has scored 7+11 in 19 matches and is sixth in the Liiga’s points market.
Räsänen got into the A national team ring after a long wait. The last time this Tampere-born center was seen in the Leijonapaida at the turn of the year was the 2017–18 under-20 World Cup. At that time Räsänen was Eeli Tolvanen with his team’s best scorer by scoring in six matches powers 2+4. (you switch to another service)
– I feel that I have progressed overall as a player in recent years. I especially offer the team a reliable two-way center game and strength in the starts, Räsänen estimates.
Räsänen is aware that in EHT games the level of demands, speed, skill level and physicality of the players increase compared to the SM league. However, the “intelligent of the league bowls” knows how to reset the pressure. Räsänen says that he relaxes between matches with the famous businessman Warren Buffett on essays.
– Ice hockey (EHT) is just like the others, I’m not going to change my own game. Relaxation and self-confidence are an important part of this job, Räsänen advises.
Listen to the entire interview with Aapeli Räsänen below. Jussi Saarinen interviewed.
Eetu Liukas gets to know the legends
Eetu Liukas, who played in the under-20 World Cup team this summer, also received an invitation to the A national team for the first time. The large pier representing HPK is from Kaarina near Turku.
– It was quite a surprise call, but let’s continue where we left off. You couldn’t have wished for a better situation for your Leijonat debut, especially when you get to play in your hometown, Liukas muses.
Only 20-year-old Liukas, who is playing his first season at HPK, has scored 3 goals and 5 assists in 20 matches in the league this year. In Leijon, Liukas joins the same chain of Leijonat legends Hannes Björninen and Marko Anttilan with.
– Of course, hunger grows when you eat. I am going to give my all and bring my own strengths, i.e. strong tackling and grappling to the ice, the winger promises.
Tappara is strongly represented
No less than four players from the ranks of the reigning Finnish champion Tappara were selected for Leijon. Tappara striker Walter Merelä gets to play his SM league chain friend Jori Lehterän also in Leijonapaida in Turku.
– Yes, it makes it a little easier that you don’t have to agree on all the patterns separately, Merelä states.
For Merela, the A national team command is second of its kind. One of the most dangerous platforms in the SM league this season has scored 7+5 in 20 matches. In Leijon, however, Merelä does not aim for power points, but wins for his own team through steady matches.
– If there is a goal from there, it’s always better, Merelä laughs.
There were surprising changes in the composition of the lions during the tournament, when Ilves was named to the team Joona IkonenEHC Kloten Miro Aaltonen and HIFK Iiro Pakarinen were left out of the tournament. JYP was replaced Jerry TurkulainenLock Jere Karjalainen and TPS’s Wipe.
Finnish EHT tournament matches: Thu 10.11. at 18:30 Switzerland–Finland, Sat 12.11. at 16:30 Finland–Czech Republic and Sun 13.11. at 16:30 Finland–Sweden.