Sixth of May 1992. Vaclave Namesti, Prague.
Hello ladies, girls, boys and playboys!
Finally in Prague. Now our Interrail gig can properly begin. Yesterday we came by train from Berlin and now I have to say that it is hard to find a more beautiful city in the world. As if in the 17th or 18th century. Yesterday we admired the wonderful buildings in the evening sun at Raatihuone square and enjoyed the first local goulash.
It’s this enchanting city, when compared to Finland’s rather dreary cityscape. I have a feeling that I will come here again sometime.
Today was our first match here, Finland’s quarterfinal against Canada. The tickets were bought yesterday. There was a small stall next to the hall where you could get tickets really cheap. We got to some pretty good places. You don’t have to stand here like in the SM league in many places. All seats are seats.
In every place, the car brand Skoda is distributed. Skoda, let me laugh! Some old Eastern Bloc car brand is being foisted on people here. In the hall’s yard, there is also an advertisement for Skoda. However, it doesn’t look at all like a pile of tin like it was in Finland in the 70s.
With a pretty amazing team, Leijonat has reached the quarterfinals. It wasn’t supposed to happen this way, in the opinion of many, with the “worst ever” World Cup team. The team has played the preliminary series “just fine” by winning all the games, but now they should drop the canucks from the medal games. It was a BIG deal for this Finnish team.
Many of those Finnish players will probably never get into the Lions’ team again, but now there was an opportunity, when so many wanted to start their vacations after the regular season.
In that group, there’s an amazing kid, 17 years old Jere Lehtinen From Espoo. So from the divari team?! What the hell is he? We’ll see if we hear anything from Lehtis.
By the way, I heard that Damn it you had pushed Teemu Selänetta to the team at the last minute, but Fööni-Matikainen had told it that no one would be accepted here anymore, when Teukka was not interested in the invitation to the games in the first place. May Teemu rest in peace. I guess number 8 still has time to play these tricks.
What a wonder, 17-year-old Jere Lehtinen. From the Divari team? What the hell is he?
The tough guy is Pena of Liper. Doesn’t let the Finnish puck bounce in the eyes. This is exactly what I appreciate: a guy with a backbone and his own principles. Dear Pena!
There are tough players in that Finnish team. Mikko Mäkelä, Timo Jutila and Christian Ruuttu has already played in many big tournaments and they are very important guys in this group. Why do I value Mäkelä in particular? He is a gambler who has seen the world and is, by the way, the first Finn to make his way to the dynasty team of the early 80s, the New York Islanders. Crazy trick!
But now we go with the boys to get excited about the Finland-Canada match. I will write again in the evening.
Seventh of May 1992 at 00:30.Vaclave Namesti.
Johan was a match. Finland is playing for MEDALS in the World Cup!!! This isn’t real! Dizzy! It’s going to be an incredibly exciting weekend in Prague.
The lions put their bodies in an insane way. Timo Peltomaan three goals was something unimaginable. Now think: HAT TRICK against Canada in the quarterfinals of the World Cup. This is a HARD thing! The dude doesn’t score much in the SM league, he just grinds and scratches like crazy, but now the Ilves guy did something extraordinary. I think he wrote his name in Finnish latkä history.
By the way, it was a great experience to be there. The atmosphere in the Sparta Prague arena was on the roof and the service played. Think about this: beer was sold in the hall at a ridiculous price and you could take it to the KATSOMO: We were together with Jouko and Peka in a really good way. Well, it became a joke when “Urkkuelli” paid ONLY 50 pennies in Finnish money. In Jyväskylä’s kuppila, the price of a pint is about ten cents.
Now there is a tricky puzzle: how do we get tickets for the boys and I for the semi-final match the day after tomorrow against the host country, Czechoslovakia? I guess we know them somehow now? You MUST get into that game.
Ninth of May 1992. Stare Mesto, Prague.
It’s a super day for Finnish puck fans and puck tourists: Finland’s World Cup semi-final game against Czechoslovakia. This has never been experienced in the history of Finnish lätäk!
We had no idea about this when we started with Jouko and Peka from Jyväskylä station on the morning after Labor Day towards Central Europe. Of course, a little shivering was part of it, after all, you have to take the spring festival seriously. And it was taken.
The first problem came with the entrance tickets today: how to get a ticket to the hottest event in Prague. The only option was to stand in front of the ticket booth in the hall like many others. We waited over an hour in the heat, but it was worth the wait. The division of labor was clear: two wait in line and one fetches “fins” for the whole pop pool.
Not every Finn has these tickets. Hey, now let’s get to a real World Cup match, maybe a historic one.
We honestly came to the conclusion that Finland is unlikely to win this semi-final and ended up with a hard decision by the referee’s vote 3-0: let’s take the bags to the custody of the Prague train station in advance and continue from there after the match by night train towards Vienna. We didn’t even have that rented room in the city anymore. Let’s take all kinds of food with us and enjoy the train ride and not miss any of the bronze games.
It is more practical than hotels to rent a room from private individuals in Prague. We had one within walking distance of the city’s main street. It wasn’t a four-star hotel, but an old Soviet-era place without any amenities. The lights didn’t work properly. The toilet didn’t flush either.
We didn’t even have that rented room in the city anymore.
Uh Yes, I miss the familiar and clean toilet of my Jyväskylä studio apartment. Yes, a person can be a little satisfied.
By the way, young people here in Prague are really curious. They clearly like the Finns and it has been relaxed, good slaps with them. Suomi-poika has a good reputation and is popular here.
The clothing of the local young people is not quite at the Western European level yet: even one guy had gray straight pants and worn sneakers, probably bought from the GDR. There is still no looking at clothes if people have their hearts in place.
But now to the top match. Is today Finland’s day? I don’t really believe it.
Ninth of May 1992. Zizkov, Prague.
GREAT! AWESOME! Finland will play in the final of the World Cup tomorrow! So Leijonat is playing for the world championship! You can’t understand this!
An incredible match that ended for Leijon after the Penalty Shootout. Ketterer made some great saves in a tight race by blocking ALL the shots. Varvio and Storage chair missed hits. Great guys!
The atmosphere in the hall was insane as the Czech audience roared. The organist created a great atmosphere. And by the way, there were a lot of blue and white shirts in the stands. I also have a blue Leijona shirt here, which I got from the Ice Hockey Association in the 80s. It’s a bit shabby, but that’s okay. The main thing is that the lion logo can be seen big on the front.
The Czech audience was moved by the cheering of the Finland fans during the match. They started throwing empty beer cans at us during the match and shouting something mongerrus with red faces. But we didn’t care about that. They tried to keep in mind the words of press secretary Koivisto: “If you are provoked, don’t be provoked”. And so we did.
After the match, we shook hands with our Czech friend in a calm manner.
The Czech audience was moved by the joy of the Finland fans. They started throwing empty beer cans at us during the match.
After the match, we were on a winning spree and had a good time. We tried to go to the VIP areas of the hall with a sense of humor, but the kind door ladies just said with a smile: “Boys, maybe next time”. We just wanted to get to better foods sometimes. I’m starting to get tired of the sausages and drinking local beer doesn’t feel like anything anymore, even though there’s plenty of it. All the most famous brands have been tested.
I had to go back to the train station and take my bags from the store. We’re not going anywhere to Vienna yet, since tomorrow is the historic World Cup final against Sweden. We pressed the apartment rental company in the center and got a new room. That clerk girl had written in big letters on the back of the booking paper: “Next time WE win”. Had watched the match on TV.
I was completely confused as to where in Prague the apartment is located. Fortunately, the boys knew how to navigate. This cabin has windows where you can see outside and the toilet finally works!
Now is not the time to go on evening vacations, but to sleep and try for tickets to the World Cup finals in the morning. By the way, it’s a great feeling now!
Tenth of May 1992. Stare Mesto, Prague.
A truly exceptional day in Prague. When I woke up, I felt strange, tingling! In the afternoon, Finland plays for the ice hockey world championship against Sweden!
The idea has always seemed far away, hopelessly far away. It’s incomprehensible that we, the boys of Central Finland, are still on the spot witnessing the final. You’re just talking to country cousins!
In the morning, tickets were grabbed cheaply from the hall yard, when the Czechs wanted to get rid of their own match tickets after losing to Finland yesterday. We also got train tickets. By night train to Vienna.
A small episode happened when we were in a cafe on the main street near the Narodni Museum to get a snack. The waitress at the checkout only wanted to communicate in French and refused to speak English.
I kept my head down and slurred English with a decent Yankee accent, heh. The transactions were completed, but the waiter finally shoved the filled croissant in front of me in protest with a sullen expression.
Thank you and then browse! I can assure you that our paths will not cross again during our earthly journey with that lady!
The preparation rite for the World Cup final was the familiar Finnish national one, i.e. cut loose, each in their own style. The same wonderful afternoon rally continued to the hall with other Finnish hockey fans. We have come here through Finland: from Hanko to Ivalo. Where do those guys have tomorrow?
But now to the other end of the hall to see if Leijonat is doing something completely unique? This is the WC FINAL. I still don’t understand this!
10.5.1992, Night train Prague-Vienna
Frustration! Whistling Tre Kronor! Finland didn’t become world champion after all. No matter how much you hoped for it when going into the third set. The best momentum of the lions had evaporated in a huge semifinal victory.
It’s sad to the extent that this kind of opportunity for a world championship won’t necessarily come to the Lions for decades. If even then. Of course, silver is a big deal, a huge surprise.
Now the MM cup and fanning the Lions can stay. It’s time to take the night train to completely new landscapes.
Thank you Prague! Tomorrow we will already eat authentic Austrian sachertorte in Vienna.