This season was the weakest time for the Finnish national ice hockey team. Finland was left without a hockey medal in all of this year’s World Championships.
The Lions, the Women’s Lions, the Young Lions and the under-18 national ice hockey team missed the quarterfinals. The girl lions, on the other hand, lost the bronze match.
The last time Finland went without a single hockey World Cup medal was 11 seasons ago. The collapse is drastic, because last year the Lions celebrated World Cup and Olympic gold, the Women’s Lions won Olympic bronze, the under-20 national team was in the finals, and the boys and girls celebrated bronze medals.
Urheilu asked four well-known ice hockey influencers what causes the lack of success and what kind of challenges the national ice hockey team faces.
Finland did not get a single medal in this season’s hockey tournaments. What is causing this?
Hannu Jortikka, coaching legend
– Women’s team, under-20 team and under-18 team. I don’t think these things can be combined. However, the cold truth about youth is that we don’t have enough talented players. We had a competitive advantage in one respect, when young players got to play in the SM league. Now there is no such competitive advantage.
Tommi Niemelä, Pelicans head coach
– There have been a few weak spots in individual tournaments that have been reflected in the result. I don’t see a single factor in it.
Erkka Westerlund, coaching legend
– These tournament-type events are so much up to chance. I’m not terribly worried about the current performance level of Finnish ice hockey in terms of the A national team. We are strong in men, if we had, for example, the best players in the world together. You can be worried about the long-term operation.
There has been a lot of success in recent years. Do you think it blinded the Finnish hockey people?
Hannu Jortikka
– Unfortunately, this kind of feeling happens. The whole season has been pretty bad for the national teams. There’s no point in denying that. When things are going well, we are overflowing people. Professional sports are such a brutal game that you can’t afford to rest.
Tommi Niemelä
– Other countries are also trying their best. Perhaps there has been a little blindness. However, we want to be the best hockey country in the world, which is great. We have dared to go to such a demanding level and it must be maintained. There has to be a certain kind of realism about not winning every year.
Erkka Westerlund
– In general, victories easily bring satisfaction, and development in elite sports ends with satisfaction. This season is a good opportunity to take a critical look at the activities. After such a season, the review is more critical than before. It is an asset for Suomi kieko.
How is the player production, have any mistakes been made?
Hannu Jortikka
– This is probably the case. After all, there is no scope. Somehow it feels like we don’t get good individuals through for one reason or another.
Tommi Niemelä
– Unfortunately, we are behind the times. The junior leagues and league system have not supported the players’ development in any way. Steps can be taken towards better performance in player production. It’s a bit too much to be everything to everyone.
Erkka Westerlund
– Club activities are really high-quality. I don’t know if the Ice Hockey Association is fully awake to the charm of past success. You have to be a little worried about that. We can’t rest on our laurels at all. There are good prospects for the next five years, but we should also build the future after that.
How has Finnish coaching kept up with international development?
Hannu Jortikka
– I don’t think that coaching has fallen behind. Maybe we need to rethink the way we play. They always say that defense wins. Should we give in a bit and try to win with reasonable attacking?
Tommi Niemelä
– Finnish coaching expertise is definitely the best in the world. You have to remember that tournament coaching is always different from long-term process coaching in a club. Continuity must be sought in that as well.
Juha Juujärvi, Urheilu’s expert
– The speed of the game has been sought very largely through the cooperation and structure of the five. In today’s hockey, especially in youth hockey and in smaller rinks, opponents try to play the game in such a way that the structure is not constantly put together. Then you need the ability to solve the game on an individual level. A good game identity needs to be modified to be a little faster and more active throughout. We have to think about how the players could be helped to play faster hockey.
– What is suitable for the A national team’s tournament play is not necessarily the best way in terms of individual development in juniors. To some extent, the things that have worked in A national team tournament play have been copied to junior hockey. It’s not something everyone wants.
Do the Finnish national teams have the best possible coaches?
Hannu Jortikka
– This is a difficult question. You shouldn’t only find coaches who want to advance in their careers and then the coach changes every year. Should we find a little more experienced people there?
Erkka Westerlund
– Jukka Jalonen there are top coaches in the world. He has understood where coaching is going and how people are coached. The whole operational culture is still in its infancy. The coaches don’t have the same know-how that Jukka has. We have to think about how we can support the mental growth of the players.
Juha Juujärvi
– Previously, there was no dream of youth national team assignments. It is only in recent years that youth national teams have been strongly recruited and head coaches who worked in the SM league have been selected there.
How has the management of the Ice Hockey League succeeded in recent years?
Hannu Jortikka
– No in Harris (Numela) there’s nothing wrong. He is a different leader, what Kalervo Kummola was He shouldn’t interfere in every matter either. He has a different approach. I think it should be a favor to him. The board of the Ice Hockey Federation should sharpen up a bit.
Tommi Niemelä
– The goal of the ice hockey association’s management is to create opportunities for the whole of Finnish hockey to grow. That’s where resources are a big issue. The two home matches bring a big boost to our operations. Without those resources, there would be no opportunities to develop to the maximum. Now it’s a question of how the resources are used. You have to make wise decisions about it.
Naisleijonat has traditionally been a “sure” medal team. Now getting to the medal games is tough. Why have the Lionesses fallen off the bandwagon?
Hannu Jortikka
– There are not enough enthusiasts. Our league is so bad that the best players play in Sweden and North America. The grassroots level is forgotten. Coaching knowledge is also not at a sufficient level.
Tommi Niemelä
– Ten years ago, Finland took a clear step compared to competing countries. Kuortane got a centralized model where young players could be developed. A clear leadership position was taken in relation to, for example, the Czech Republic, Sweden and Japan. However, that head start has been taken and the next steps must be taken.
What should be done in order for Finland to win medals and produce top players in the future?
Hannu Jortikka
– There is no need to do anything radical. It’s a good SM league and there are good players all the time.
Tommi Niemelä
– Finland has limited resources and they are very strongly in club activities. Should be able to focus the top stage on top clubs. There are 20 teams in the under-20 league, which is a ridiculous amount. There are too many in the under-18 and 16-year-old series. You have to be able to make such decisions that the best play against the best all the time.
Juha Juujärvi
– Behind the sharpest tip, more quality and competition are needed. Competition requirements must be made tougher in Mestiksek and in the under-20 championship series.