The finals of the Ice Hockey Championship League start on Wednesday evening in Tampere at 18:30. Puhe’s Jääkiekkierros follows the match and all final matches on site. Wednesday’s broadcast starts at 18:10.
When the Pelicans defenseman Toni Utunen was 12 years old, he moved with his father from Kokkola to Tampere for better coaching.
– My father contacted Tappara and asked if I could play. The green light was shown and things moved forward quite quickly, Utunen tells Urheilu.
Only later has Utunen understood what kind of sacrifices his lower-income parents made for hockey. The family had a newly renovated home in Kokkola, and the wallet was also lightened by the son’s hockey hobby and a rental apartment in Tampere.
– Parents have played a huge role. Of course, I left with my father alone, but I have to thank both of them. Equally, they sacrificed energy and time, says Utunen and continues:
– However, I also have four older sisters. It must have been a hard place for them too that we left. I have to thank the whole family.
Father Jari’s workplace was also a big enabler of the move. The employer bought the two an apartment, which they could rent at an agreed price.
– That was also one big criterion that made the move possible.
When Utunen later moved in on his own and realized more about the value of money, he understood a lot more about his parents’ sacrifices.
– Yes, it was a big investment back then. Our childhood home in Kokkola underwent a major renovation and shortly after that we moved. We lived in two places.
– Financially, it was certainly tight. And everyone knows that hockey is not the cheapest sport to play. A big thank you for that too, Utunen thanks.
Father Jari Utunen has told for example For Ilta-Sanom (you switch to another service) that he went to the bank many times to negotiate the mortgage repayments as small as possible. He also took out a new loan.
– Club fees were 350–400 euros per month. There were a dozen bats per season. They alone turned out to be another ton. The skates cost 200–300 euros a pair, and they weren’t exactly pro-level, Jari Utunen calculated for IS from Utusen’s B-junior age (you move to another service).
Jari Utunen, who works as a baker, also stated to the newspaper that many low-income earners raise their hands because of the high cost of hockey.
– I remember when we came to Tampere, and I started to know what each of the parents of Tappara’s boys do. Then I remembered what I was doing here. There was an entrepreneur and a doctor there, Jari recalled to the newspaper.
An important goal
Tappara offered Toni Utus a quality junior path. Utunen says that he learned a lot from his junior years and that he also learned a lot of new things in the SM league team, especially from the most experienced players.
In Tappara, Utunen won the 2019 WC bronze and also celebrated the youth WC gold in the same year. The defender is best remembered from the Games for his 2–1 winning goal against Canada in overtime in the quarterfinals.
In the end, Utunen did not rise to glory in Tappara and was stuck in a smaller role in the years after the youth WC gold.
– I didn’t necessarily progress in terms of sportsmanship, but all the lessons I learned from the spiritual side have been invaluable. It was good to learn at a young age that you don’t always get to play as much as you’d like, and that’s commonplace in the sport, Utunen says.
NHL still a dream
In the summer of 2021, Utunen left for Lahti after responsibility. This season he took steps forward. He set his new point record with 3+12=15 and convincingly played his own. Utusen’s regular season power statistic +22 was the sixth best in the SM league and the Pelicans’ highest.
– I feel that I have been able to take big steps in terms of skill. I know I still have more to give. I have taken small steps forward, but now I would need a little bigger step.
Even though the Vancouver Canucks’ NHL reservation has expired, the brightest is still Utusen’s dream.
– I’ve always wanted to go there since I was little. I want to believe that one day I would get there. It’s still a dream and I work for it every day.
It’s easy to be in the Pelicans
The Pelicans have been counted among the big surprises of the season, because before the start of the season, many well-known hockey journalists eI even saw the people of Lahti as a playoff team (you switch to another service).
Utunen assures that Pelicans already stated in the opening meeting of the season that they want to be the team that raises their hand last.
– I feel that every single one has believed in it the whole season and there hasn’t been a single moment when we realized that we could win. There has been an opportunity all along and we have gone towards it.
According to Utunen, success is based on a clichéd sense of togetherness.
– That normal everyday activity, how relaxed it is, and how easy it is to be there and enjoy it. I dare say that it is definitely one of the big stone legs that we have had.
What significance has Tommi Niemelä had in this story of yours?
– “Hölö” have been the frontrunners. He is smiling and positively moving forward. It has also caught on. The entire other management team and players have also got this together.
Players who have played for both teams.
Poleaxe: Niko Hovinen, Casimir Jürgens, Waltteri Merelä
Pelicans: Ben Blood, Saku Salminen, Toni Utunen, Jonas Enlund (injured), Tyler Kelleher
Against acquaintances
Utunen goes to enjoy the unique final matches against his former club Tappara. He managed to achieve one bronze medal in the team, but the championship is not yet in his back pocket.
– It’s fun to play against them. There are still a lot of acquaintances there and it will definitely give you extra drive. These are such great games and you rarely get to play them, so you have to enjoy it and give it your all, so you don’t have to worry about it, says Utunen.
How wonderful would it be to win the championship against Tappara?
– Well, let’s play first, Utunen cheers.
– No matter who it is, it would definitely feel great. There are still four games to win before then.