Tappara’s goalkeeper Christian Heljanko25, has been in incredible peak form in the hockey Champions League.
Heljanko has saved four clean sheets in ten matches, conceded only 1.19 goals per match and scored with 95.24 percent certainty. The performances have moved Tappara to within one match of the CHL finals.
Heljanko, on the other hand, is nominated for the Champions League’s most valuable player. He cannot say whether there is anything more special behind the successes.
– The games have been harder for the goalkeeper, when there have been many situations and he has been able to be in the spotlight all the time. I haven’t had to stand idle for long periods of time like sometimes in league games, says Heljanko.
– Ice hockey in the CHL is a bit different, maybe in some ways certainly more entertaining. It’s always exciting when you get to play against clubs that are basically even bigger than us.
It has been more difficult for Heljanko in the league, as the save percentage is 89.19 and the goals conceded are 2.1 per match. As Heljanko stated, there have been quite a few saves, about 17.5 per match.
However, Heljanko has recently excelled in tough places. Last spring, he made 15 saves in the playoffs with a save percentage of 93.
– I’ve always enjoyed it the most when there are butterflies in the bottom of my stomach, a little extra tension and charging. I can’t be at my best without it.
Investing in the future
Heljanko, who is playing his sixth season in the SM league, is relatively young for a hockey player. However, the hockey player has already thought about the time after his career and invested with his future in mind.
– I became interested in investing sometime in middle school. I don’t remember exactly where it started, but I’ve always had a plan and wanted to think things ahead. I thought that it could enable things I would like to do in the future. Back then we weren’t talking about big sums, it was about learning a habit.
For athletes, one good way to prepare for the post-career period is the athlete fund, the purpose of which is to soften the fall after the end of the career. An athlete can transfer a maximum of half of his annual earnings to the athlete fund.
The athlete pays income tax on the funds and income accumulated in the fund when he withdraws them after his career.
Encourages young people to invest
Heljankokin started transferring small amounts to the athletes’ fund from his first contract. According to Heljango, the fund’s popularity has been growing among hockey players all the time.
– I’ve tried to encourage young people too, that even if we’re talking about small amounts, it’s worth learning that way. If wages rise, then they can be raised. Usually, in the investment business, time is what brings the returns. If you can start at a young age, that’s really good.
Heljanko has invested his money in index funds and shares. However, the most interest has been in apartments, and he has a few investment apartments.
– The apartments have become closer precisely because I get to offer someone else a home. It’s an important thing. Those are great moments when I see the tenants, and I always have to send them messages, ask for news. Sometimes I give out tickets and ask to watch the game.
The goalkeeper aims for financial independence in the future. He wants to choose, based on his interest, what kind of work he would do after his sports career.
– When I sometimes quit, I can’t stay at home. But you wouldn’t have to choose a job based on where you get the most money. I want that certain kind of security. Money doesn’t bring happiness, but the right amount often makes life easier.
Heljanko, who was chosen as the best goalie after last spring’s Finnish championship, can still play ice hockey for several more years, at least because of his age.
The next step in your career could be winning the Champions League. It could be a step closer after Tuesday night if Tappara loses to Zug with a maximum goal. Tappara won the first match 2–0, and you can advance on aggregate goals.
According to Heljango, the appreciation of CHL matches has increased, especially among players. According to Heljango, the team is a little surprised that the audience has not found the stands in the Champions League.
– If you don’t count NHL games, you don’t see teams of this level very often in Finland. I would hope that the audience would also learn to appreciate how hard and good hockey is played here. We enjoy being able to measure at the extremes how well we can play. Hopefully it will be transmitted to the audience and the appreciation will increase year by year.