Konkari centers Petri Kontiola38, and Jarno Koskiranta36, ended his hockey career with a bronze medal when Ilves beat HIFK 3–2 in the Tampere arena.
Kontiola’s league career began in September 2003 in the Tappara shirt and ended in Ilves in April 2023. “Konna’s” only championship was the A-youth puck championship 19 years ago. He won World Championship silver three times, Olympic bronze in 2014, and two bronze medals from the Championship League.
– This last season fell short, and it was difficult to go to this match. On the one hand, it was good to play one more match in the League, on the other hand, the old man already took the semi-final loss hard. Now let’s pack our things and let’s go, we will come to this hall next to watch the matches of the World Cup and hopefully also as a commentator, Kontiola thought about the future for STT.
The last match was emotional anyway.
– I bit my tooth with ice so that I wouldn’t get a drop in my eye, Kontiola became sensitive.
In the regular season that ended, Kontiola finished fourth in the points market with 12+39=51, but his level dropped in the playoffs, where, despite playing a big role, he had a balance of 1+3=4/-4 in 12 matches.
Kontiola did not admit that the rumors circulating in the public about the injuries of the last few weeks were true.
– The player does not explain if there were even minor injuries, stressed Kontiola.
Personally, Kontiola ended his cannon season ten years ago, in 2013. At that time, the hockey personality that was held conquered the World Cup point exchange victory, became the World Cup All Stars forward and took the first place in the KHL playoff point exchange. Kontiola was the winner of the SM league points exchange in the 2020–21 season while playing for HPK.
Kontiola could not yet say for sure what the future would bring.
– Now at least let’s close the phone for a long time and think about it later. I can’t say anything for sure. Maybe for CEO, Kontiola thought at least half-seriously.
Koskiranta did not disappoint again in the spring games
Jarno Koskiranta, who grew up in the Espoo Hockey Club, played the rest of the season in Ilves on a loan contract from SaiPa, where he had been playing since 2020. He was acquired specifically for the playoffs.
Koskiranta did well in the spring games and the anchor of the four chain played his best puck of the season in the most important moments. Koskiranta played 11 playoffs games with 2+3=5/+4, while 2+9=11/-9 in 56 matches of the regular season.
– It was great to be able to play these spring games again. Maybe we weren’t quite that mature in the Pelicans semifinal series and we went along with their story a little. You can always worry when there have been a lot of illnesses, corona and injuries, but of course every team has them.
Koskiranta said that the need for a bronze medal match can be argued endlessly.
– The bronze medal game belongs to Suomi hockey, so what the hell. For someone with a small club, even for SaiPa, bronze would be quite a challenge.
In the HIFK bronze match, Koskiranta was plotting against Ilves in the third set Santeri Virtanen finished the winning goal, which guaranteed the dullest medals for Ilves.
– Personally, my charge might not have been so strong if it hadn’t been for such an event (the last puck match). It’s nice to end a career with a win. A nice event, and even more so when the family got to watch the game on the spot, and not just on TV. It left a great, common memory, admitted Koskiranta.
Alongside Datsjuk, winning the KHL championship
Koskiranta’s best playing years were in the KHL from 2013 to 2020, where the center played more than 400 matches, including the playoffs. He represented Sibir Novosibirsk and SKA Petersburg, where he won the Gagarin Cup in the spring of 2017 while also playing Pavel Datsyuk with in the first chain.
– I was at my best then without anything else, my body was fine too. In the 2016 World Cup final, I was about to lose to Canada. At the Pyeongchang Olympics in 2018, we didn’t achieve anything, so I didn’t have such good memories, Koskiranta recalled.
Koskiranta once achieved silver in the Championship in Tappara, where he had a great spring in 2013. In the 14 playoffs matches he played, he scored 9+1=10.
Right after the end of your career, what are the top two memories from your hockey career?
– I have created good friendships in every team, that is perhaps the most important thing. I spent seven years in Russia, five of which I was a goalkeeper About Miko together with We have joked that in those days we spent more time alone than with our families.
– If you want to find a shock memory somewhere, for me it was when I went to Novosibirsk, Russia for the first time. I wasn’t quite ready for that first week of training and the heat. I lost seven kilos a week and I was a pretty pale boy in the pictures.
Koskiranta says that he will take a moment to relax and spend the summer without any schedules.
– Autumn is the time to think about what I’m going to do. However, after 30 years, I’m unlikely to completely leave these hockey jobs, revealed Koskiranta.