The number one center that has solved several important matches for the lions Sakari Manninen will once again play a major role when Finland starts the World Cup on Friday. The Finnish men’s hockey team will face Norway at 8.20 pm.
The journey to the current position has been a long one and Manninen has been required to be patient. The word patience is often repeated when talking about Mannis with different people. The main character also uses the word himself.
– I have come a long way and the award has come a little later through patience. I’ve managed to be patient, that’s the biggest thing, Manninen tells Sport.
At the age of 19, Taituri ran 62 (23 + 39) points in the Finnish Junior Championships. However, the road to a tough standard fly configuration only opened up after two seasons. That, too, happened in part surprisingly when Kärppien’s head coach Lauri Marjamäki called the center borrowed from Hokk in the early meters of the 2014-2015 season.
– He asked me back to Fly. I played for the rest of the season Ivan Humlin and Juha-Pekka Haatajan with. It was really nice to play with experienced and good players. I got a lot to learn and advice. It was a big place to grow, but it was awesome at all that I got that phone call, Manninen says.
Manninen hit 19 points in 51 matches. The final breakthrough for international fields was seen at HPK over the next two seasons. 172-cent Manninen finished 31 points in the first season and 40 points in the second.
He also made it to the adult national team for the first time in the latter season.
– I got to play a big role in HPK. The second season was there Pennasen Anttiwho was a really good coach. I learned differently and grew up a lot as a player and mentally, Manninen says and praises having had several top coaches in his career.
In the shadow of Mikael Granlund
Manninen, 30, grew to be a top hockey player and a lion leader under the radar. He often remained younger than his peers Mikael Granlundin and Joonas Donskoin shadow.
Manninen, who started hockey in Haukipudas Ahmo, was talented and skilled, but extremely small. He later coached Mann about the Juniors of the Flies Lauri Mikkola still vividly remembers the first encounter with the young man.
Manninen was involved Janne Niinimaan in the puck school group, where Mikkola was an A-junior as an assistant instructor.
– The 92-year-old hockey school had one small-sized dude and a joy pill that stood out from the others with his skating and playing skills. He stood out clearly with his playing and passing skills, which was not found in the others, Mikkola tells Urheilu.
Mikkola sees that the small size on the other hand also forced Manninen to develop his game.
– On the other hand, it is his strength that he has had to play a game when he was young, and he has not rolled with any physical traits at any point. He has always had to come up with ways to progress in the game and how to build the game.
According to Mikkola, there were always enough skeptics about Mann in his junior years. Every time and year, however, Manninen rose to the next level and looked to his skeptics. Perseverance, perseverance, and a relentless hunger for victory were already evident as a little boy.
– He was able to struggle despite his small size and the desire to win was terribly big. He was ready to put himself in the league every game, and he never gave up. The feelings went hot, there were losses at times and they also showed disappointment on his face after the game, Mikkola says.
Due to its small size, Manninen admits that he has always had to squeeze the maximum out of himself. On the other hand, it has also developed over the years.
– I’ve had to anticipate the game more. It would be easy to lift me to the wall if I stayed put, but I try to stay in motion, get free space, give feeds and get moving right away, Manninen says.
Manninen has said that he has learned, among other things, that he has learned, among other things From Teemu Hartikainen and From Markus Granlundwith whom he played for the same KHL team in Ufa.
Especially the large Hartikainen is great for protecting the puck.
– It is a lot of putting your legs, back and disc in positions that can control the situation. It is also a lot about anticipating the situation. “Mane” has evolved a lot in it. That’s definitely a big area where he’s improved his game, Hartikainen praises.
Print at crucial moments
30-year-old Manninen has been winning Olympic and World Cup gold for Leijon in an important role as the center of the number one chain. Manninen has taken responsibility and stood out at crucial moments.
At the Beijing Olympics, Manninen hit the Slovak net in the low net semi-finals. In the semi-finals of the World Cup in Bratislava, the Finnish tournament was also a hair’s breadth pre-favorite against Sweden, but Manninen’s shot took Finland to the semi-finals.
In his career, Manninen, who also won the Finnish championship in 2015, has achieved and won practically everything in Europe.
In retrospect, at least, he does not admit that he would have wanted to move faster in his career at some point. Nor has faith been put to the test.
– It was younger then and still is fun to work in front of hockey. This is also a team sport with a nice get-together, I have so much fun. This has felt so good and fun that it has made it easier to have patience.
At the age of 17-18, Manninen realized that he wanted to give his all to the sport and develop into a professional hockey player.
– I went to summer jobs then to get some money for the summer. As a young boy, it was nice to go home from work and practice. It gave perspective: I like this so much that it would be great to have a hockey profession. It has also helped me stay patient. At no point have I given up or thought that this has become anything.
That attitude has also shone on Lions in recent years. Even if a team loses, players rarely panic or change anything. They believe their own thing carries.
And quite often it has borne. Now, in addition to World Cup gold and Olympic gold, Finland and Manninen have the opportunity to have a rarer achievement in the prize cabinet – a world championship in front of the home crowd.
– Of course, the World Cup gold would taste very good. Home races, they are so unique. Whenever I play for something big, I want to win. I don’t think about it too much, but I know it’s there. We go towards it, but don’t start thinking about it too much now, Manninen says.