There will be big changes in EräViikinki’s team for next season, even if the league position is maintained. In the decisive qualifying game, ErVi defeated Liminga’s Niittomiehet 9–2.
SpongeBob Forsberg,
Henri Pitkänen
9.4. 22:19•Updated 9.4. 23:51
Four-time floor bandy world champion Jani Kukkola, 37, is ending his career. The forward of EräViikinki was the last active player of the three men who have been involved in winning all four of Finland’s world championships. Others are Mika Kohonen and Juha Kivilehto.
Kivilehto quit last season and is now Classic’s head coach. Kohonen announced his retirement in the winter of 2021, when he no longer recovered from his December 2019 Achilles tendon injury.
Kukkola’s career was supposed to end with a minor victory, but EräViikingit caught fire in the decisive fifth qualifying match against Liminga Niittommää, who were aiming for promotion. Kukkola scored the opening goal of the match and ErVi finally defeated Liminga clearly 9–2. The league position was kept exactly with a 3–2 win.
According to Kukkola, the mood had eased, but also divided.
– It has been a difficult season. I’ve known for a long time that this is my last season. I wouldn’t have wanted to end in this situation, but on the other hand, this was the crowning glory, I got to end it for the party, even though the result wasn’t what we set out to get at the beginning of the series. It’s always nice to finish with a win.
Kukkola has played countless games in his career and played major league basketball for 20 years in Finland and Sweden and won all four of Finland’s world championships. Kukkonen debuted at the championship level in the SB-Pro team in the 2003–2004 season.
– I have gotten to know hundreds of wonderful people. Before the game, when I entered the booth, I had the biggest outburst of emotion when I knew that maybe for the last time I would enter this booth and see those guys there. You only realize that at this point in your career. It’s self-evident when playing. But now you can see it.
In his career, Kukkola achieved three SM golds in SSV and two silvers, one in Tapanila’s Erä and one in EräViikingei.
– For more than 20 years, this sport has been something that has stayed with me the whole time. If there have been sorrows or sorrows, floorball has remained and brought joy to life. Life goes on in other patterns. Great memories. I got to play with great players. Win and lose, got to experience all emotional scales.
According to Kukkola, his physical condition has remained good. The reason for quitting was the mental burden of the last seasons. EräViikingit has rejuvenated its team, and has not been able to compete in the top ranks of the F-League.
– There have been such difficult seasons, we haven’t assembled the kind of group that we would have hoped would compete there at the other end. It has been really difficult to deal with it myself. Of course, the team’s future looks brighter.
There will be big changes in ErVi’s team for next season, even if the league position is maintained. Also stop the bumps Mika Moilanenwho won World Championship gold in 2010 and 2016. In addition Tommi Rosendahl quit with a high probability.
Fixed thing at 23:50. Mika Moilanen will finish for sure, Tommi Rosendahl probably.