Petteri Rimpinen’s cool-headedness was surprising in the World Cup tournament. Kari Lehtonen believes that Rimpinen has a future in the NHL.
– Yes, an extremely cool head makes him good. He was not terribly dizzy against Canada, USA, Sweden and partners. Not a single weak game in the whole tournament, not even the first one.
Jukka Jalonen two world championships in teams, goalkeeper coach who won the Olympic gold and the youth world championship Kari Lehtonen the exaggerations never end when he talks about the 18-year-old Petteri Rimpinesten.
Lehtonen, who currently works as a goalie game development manager in the Ice Hockey Association, admires how Rimpinen played in the tournament. He highlights, among other things, the overtime of the final game, where Rimpinen made several top saves.
– The Yankees had top plots. He just snapped them all, Lehtonen marvels.
A magical tournament
The Finnish goalkeeper was selected as the best goalkeeper of the tournament and in the star-studded field. He blocked pucks with 93.3 percent certainty and allowed only 2.34 goals per game.
According to Lehtonen, the games proved once again that a goalkeeper’s size does not define him as a player.
– You don’t have to be some hong-shatter, two meters tall or something else. However, skill is the decisive thing: how you read the game, how fast you are and how you get behind the puck. He was absolutely magical in this tournament.
The length speaks for itself
Petteri Rimpi was not booked at last summer’s NHL booking meeting, and his height has been considered one of the reasons. Rimpinen is only 182 centimeters tall. The Finn has also had to take a stand on his own.
– I feel like I’m two meters tall every time I’m in the rink. If that length is a big deal for someone, then I can’t control it. I try to focus only on the things that I can influence. How do I develop even faster and so on, Rimpinen said to Ilta-Sanom.
Lehtonen reminds that it is not a sport in which evaluation points are given. At the end of the day, the most important thing is blocking pucks, skill level and quality of play.
– I don’t think size matters. Yes, it depends on the individual and what kind of guy they get from there, Lehtonen refers to the goalkeeper coach, but emphasizes the importance of the individual.
In the footsteps of Juuse Saros
Lehtonen has had one Finn on his way to the top of the world. He was once a goalkeeper coach at HPK, when Juuse Saros played at a high level in the SM league as a youth.
Saros, who is currently playing at the top level in the NHL, and Rimpines have a lot in common. One is size, because Saros is three centimeters shorter than Rimp.
Lehtonen also highlights agility, speed and explosiveness in the similarities. He feels that especially speed should be paid more attention in Finland than it is now.
According to Lehtonen, too much emphasis is placed on the importance of technique in Finland, but in the World Youth Championships, for example, Latvia and Germany had very good and fast goalkeepers.
– We need to invest a little more in that direction in the future, so that we get such peterrimpis in the future as well.
– Petter has a lot of similarities with Juuseen. He has a great looking road ahead of him. Yes, even a small one can strive high.
A future in the NHL?
According to Lehtonen, Rimpinen showed that he has a future in the NHL. The development manager reminds that the size of the rink has a significant effect on the goalkeeper’s game.
However, Rimpinen showed that he can play even with a short notice in a small rink in a tough match.
– I don’t see any obstacle that he could one day play in the NHL.
– But whether he should play next year is up to him to consider. But he clearly has a future in the NHL. A little more strength and maybe a year or two more, then they’re open, Lehtonen sees.