Finland got its NHL players to the World Cup much weaker than the reference countries. What was new was that even the best players in Europe refused the competition invitation, writes Pekka Holopainen.
Pekka Holopainen sports reporter
In the spring of 1992, head coach Pentti Matikainen took the “weakest ever” World Cup team to the then Czechoslovakia, which reached the final and took Finland’s first World Cup medal. In 2019, Jukka Jalonen’s NHL-aided team was not slaughtered in advance, but the result was World Cup gold.
At least enough has been said about Finland’s thorniness as an underdog in that hockey history, and this proven ability is needed in Jalonen’s farewell tournament in the Czech Republic perhaps more than ever. Finland is known to have gotten involved four NHL status players, two of whom can be considered established players in the big league.
It is still by far the most popular and most important sports institution and the most followed sports event in the republic – which media monitoring figures again once after the Games they testify.
Rude percentages
The NHL catch of four players becomes very interesting when compared to the success of reference countries in attracting NHL players to the Prague spring. Of course, these countries do not include Canada and the USA, who filled their teams to the brim from their home league.
8.3 percent of the Finns who have played time in the NHL this season will strengthen Leijon in Prague. Sweden’s figure is 17.8, Germany’s 50, Switzerland’s 60, Czech Republic’s 25 and Slovakia’s 54.5 percent.
Such a dramatic difference can no longer be explained only by the players’ family, health or contract situations, which were duly appealed to by Jalonen’s desired players at least Erik Haula and Matias Maccelliand not even because the most coveted Finnish superstars continued to play Stanley Cup games when Finland locked in its final team.
A significant number of NHL players from these games came to improve their positions in the race towards next year’s four-nation NHL national team tournament and the 2026 Milan Olympic Games.
Profile players in Finland are not burdened by this kind of display pressure: even 15–17 willing players already know in practice that their athletic exclusion from the super tournaments is in no way possible.
No shortage of abundance
This is where we get to put the question the other way around from Jukka Jalonen’s point of view. Is the A national team with its strict World Cup camps and tournaments no longer of interest to Finnish NHL players – or does Finland even have players available in North America for which Jalonen and GM Jere Lehtinen would it be worth the trouble?
For years now, Finns have not been included in the first baskets of the NHL booking event, which can be seen and felt. Establishing an NHL place is quite a utopia for a large part of those who received a rookie contract in a realistic view, and it is de facto AHL, not NHL players.
But even if you take into account all the marginal conditions and moving parts, the bottom line is that the appeal of the Lions among players in North America has waned significantly.
The phenomenon recognized
From the point of view of the first institution, it is even more worrying that for the first time also in Finland’s European NHL ie In the Swiss NLA the playing elite gave the national team a rude look. Even at its best, the NHL provides the gold coating for the Finnish World Cup team, while Europe provides the vital framework.
There is a difficult generational change for the A national team, and the fierce value tournament streak 2021–2023 has taken its toll on the regular drillers. Some are clearly just not interested.
The phenomenon has certainly been recognized in the Ice Hockey Federation, and its root causes should be attacked quickly, because the position at the top of the nation’s closet is anything but self-evident, even for Leijon.
If you approach the matter as a sports romantic, maybe Jalonen wanted and got exactly the kind of team he wanted in the Czech Republic. Taking this team to great success would be the biggest coaching feat of his career.
Considering the noble history, it wouldn’t be quite that.