BAY. The Pelicans’ place in the final was also given to Alfa Romeo’s F1 driver Valtteri Bottas on the spot to the ice rink in Lahti to watch the actions of the club he co-owns against Tappara.
– When I happened to be in Finland, of course. Tomorrow the trip goes to Baku, but it’s cool to see. It’s not every day that something like this happens, that Lahti advances this far. It is fully deserved and I am fully supporting, Bottas tells Urheilu at the port of Lahti.
Bottas is the third largest owner of Pelicans with a ten percent stake. He is also on the board of the Pelicans. He watches Pelicans matches remotely whenever the schedules coincide.
– If there are games here at the same time as I’m in Finland, I’ll try to make it to the matches. Matters are also reviewed in the board. I stay very focused on things other than the points situation.
Bottas says that hockey and especially the Pelicans has always been really close to his heart. He started his own ice hockey career in Nastola Kiekko, but played longer as a junior in Kiekko-Reippaa.
– As a junior, I drove go-karts in the summer and had to do something in the winter, it was always ice hockey. I really loved both sports, but driving took the win in the finals. Good memories were left from the mud runs.
The right choice for a career
Bottas played at the same time, among other things Antti and Juhani Tyräinen with. When the formula driver asks to evaluate his hockey skills, he brings up the brothers.
– I can not say. I played at the same time with the Tyräin brothers and at least I wasn’t worse than them. Now that you look at it, I made the right choice with my career.
The 173-centimeter Bottas was initially a goalie for a couple of years in hockey, but also played as an attacker and at the end as a defender.
– Maybe I should have focused on a certain area, but I had to try all kinds of things.
During the corona years, including
Time was also spent at the Lahti ice rink at Pelicans games. Keeper Pasi Nurminen impressed Bottas.
– I liked his style of play. He has a hot temper anyway. Nowadays, I have calmed down a lot as a man. Now that I’ve gotten to know the person, I’d say Nupe.
Bottas had always thought about and been interested in the ownership of Pelicans. In 2021, everything fell into place when the Pelicans needed help.
At that time, the hockey teams had difficult times financially, when spectators were not allowed in the hall at all because of the corona.
– Then the team needed jees and I had the opportunity to join as one of the owners. It was the right moment to join, Bottas explains.
The whole city in support of the Pelicans
Bottas says that he learned a lot of new things about hockey. According to him, the time has been really interesting.
– Now there is a good buzz in everything and the results show it. I think this is a really good (situation) for the future. Hopefully moments like this motivate the juniors as well. Because there must always be role models.
The people of Lahti have adopted the Pelicans this spring. Bottas happily chats from the Lahti market grandstand, where crowds of away games have been watched.
– When you look at how well the whole city is at the fair. When you go to the market, there are many people watching the game. It makes me feel good, this is needed.
Beneath the surface
And what would Bottas bring from the formula world to Pelicans and to Finnish hockey? Bottas reminds that, for example, the spectator capacity of the Lahti ice rink places its own limitations on development. However, he has one suggestion in mind.
– Netflix has been a big part of how formulas have taken off in recent years. If the team could be documented a little deeper than the surface, what happens there, it could arouse interest and a different audience, says Bottas.
When the reporter suggests whether the meat mug from Lahti would work similarly in the formula pit, Bottas jumps in.
– It could work. Good idea by the way, Bottas smiles.
– I’m surprised that it’s not elsewhere yet. Maybe we’ll have to pull one here, he plans.