There are no less than seven players from Jukur in the World Ice Hockey Championships. Only the Czech club Litvino has more players in the games.
The Ice Hockey World Cup will be played in the Czech Republic from 10 to 26. May. follows events in the app, website, Sports Screen and Sports Radio.
The Ice Hockey World Cup will feature several top players from the NHL, but one club will surprise you with the number of players.
There are a total of seven players from the Jukurs of the finished league season in the World Cup. About them Pekka Jormakka, Patrik Puistola and Konsta Helenius belong to the Finnish team. Michal Kovarcik on the other hand, represents the host country, the Czech Republic.
Only the Czech premier league club HC Litvinov has more players in the World Cup. Moved from Jukur to the Swedish club Timrå’s head coach Olli Jokinen admits this is a great thing for the coaching staff.
– Of course it’s a great thing for the coaching and the staff. However, it must be remembered that the players themselves have earned their place with hard work and commitment, Jokinen emphasizes.
Of course, he admits that coaches always wonder if the environment is right for the development of players.
– In that sense, this gives more faith in one’s own work. We weren’t completely in the yard when we were able to develop the players, says Jokinen.
The Jukurs did things differently
The value of the performance is increased by the fact that not all the mentioned players had played for a long time or at all at the World Cup level.
When he arrived in Jukurei, Jormaka’s career was going in the wrong direction, Puistola didn’t get to play in JYP, Helenius played in A-juniors and Kovarcik in the Czech main league as a three-chain center.
During Joki, there was a lot of public talk about the training and everyday life of the Jukurites. Jokine opened up about how the players skate a lot in training. The development of individuals was the focus.
Jokinen sees that the whole took the players forward in Mikkeli. He highlights the coaching team’s strong NHL playing background and understanding of what it takes to play at the top.
In the first season, Jukurei was involved Sergei Krivokrasovafter which Toni Lydman jumped into the position of assistant coach.
– We have already traveled that distance from basic player to national team player. It was also important that we got (individual coaching service) Viima on board and did things differently.
Out of the comfort zone
Coaching aimed to develop players into better blade users, skaters and shooters. Exploited gambling and especially physical training were also a large part of the training.
– The physique must be in tip-top condition in order to be able to play at the top level. Being out of the comfort zone was always present in our everyday life.
– Of course, this always requires that the players get excited about those things and believe in them.
Jokinen also highlights how the players dared to throw themselves into the project with all their souls. The coaching was able to sell its vision to the players.
– I still want to emphasize that these players have played there themselves. Glory always goes to the individual and the player in the end games. You have to remember that they are always in the center.
In the end, Jokinen’s speeches end with where it all started in Mikkeli. He was there for the players.
The graphic below shows the World Cup match schedule.