Icon Dominik Hasek’s unexpected tribute – now reacting to the save in the SM final that everyone is talking about

Emil Larmi stepped forward when it was most needed.
The Finn was the save of the year in the SM final – and now he is being praised by Dominik Hasek himself.

Växjö has been praised enormously for its strong defensive frame during the playoffs. Many have thought that the entertainment value left a lot to be desired, but Jörgen Jönsson has built the team from behind, and it was enough all the way to SM gold.

Incomparable rescue

But it’s not just the slopes that impressed. The Finnish goalkeeper Emil Larmi has played great throughout the playoffs, and not least in the final. In the fifth final, which was played on Monday, he was responsible for a somewhat improbable save – which paved the way for Växjö’s fourth SM gold in history.

It was at the end of the first period that Skellefteå’s Oscar Möller got a hard shot against a largely open goal. Everyone had counted 1-0 to the away team, but like a soccer goalkeeper, Larmi threw himself over his goal cage, and he managed to get the puck away from the goal with the inside of his club glove. The rescue was widely shared on social media, and it even reached a certain level of legend.

READ MORE: The giant anger after the big mockery – now rages against Växjö’s move in the middle of the gold celebration: “It’s unworthy”

Hasek’s tribute

Hockey profiler Szymon Szemberg posted the save on his Twitter, and it didn’t take long for a response to come – from none other than Dominik Hasek, who responded with three thumbs up. The Czech goalkeeping legend himself was known for making spectacular saves during his active career, and it cannot be said other than that there were similarities between Larmi and Hasek, in this particular case.

However, the rescue left its mark. Afterwards, Larmi showed off the bruises he got after making the save. But he could live with that, after becoming a great SM gold hero for his Växjö.

– The hand is a little sore, but that’s part of hockey, he says.