The Florida Panthers are celebrating the first NHL championship in their club history. There was a uniquely strong Finnish contribution to the Stanley Cup victory.
About Aleksander Barkov became the first Finnish captain in history as an NHL champion. The attackers also played a big role in the game Anton Lundell and Eetu Luostarinen and defender Niko Mikkola.
About the Panthers assistant coach Tuomo from Ruudu became the second Finnish coach in history as NHL champion. Jussi Parkkila celebrated the championship as Colorado’s goalie coach in the summer of 2022.
Of course, there are other Finns on Florida’s payroll: a development coach Tomi Mäki and European talent scouts Tommi Huhtala and Tommi Santala.
The president of the Republic Alexander Stubb had already had time on Tuesday morning to make a congratulatory call to the new champions.
The Panthers’ first championship was also noted by the President of the United States Joe Biden with an official X account. Traditionally, the champion teams have been able to visit the White House.
Tuomo Ruutu, 41, played in the NHL between 2003 and 2016. As a player, he won, among other things, the World Cup gold, but there was only one playoff success in the NHL, when the Carolina Hurricanes advanced to the conference finals in the spring of 2009.
Ruutu has been Panthers’ assistant coach for three seasons.
The Finnish coach could not tell how high the heart rates were in the final moments of the match.
– That’s right… Fast game anyway, even faster at the end, so I don’t really remember anything.
Florida went through purgatory to the first championship in club history. In the finals, the Oilers came from a 0–3 loss to draw. When asked about the past week, Ruutu returned to the bigger picture. Last year, Florida lost to Vegas in the finals.
– Well, let’s say it hasn’t been an easy two years. Last year too, we just about made it to the playoffs, and finally to the finals, but we lost. We learn from it.
– The same here, the whole season has grown, as in every playoff series. Even in the final series, we grew and eventually learned to win.
When Tuomo Ruudu was asked what kind of fulfillment the Stanley Cup is for him, he emotionally described his work and his team.
– Well, honestly, I’m happy for everyone else. When people ask what you like about your dune, my first answer is that all the colleagues and players are absolutely great.
– Not only what they do on the ice, but how good people they are and how they treat each other. That’s why we’re winners, I argue.
During the finals, we also found out what Ruutu is like as a coach. The head coach Paul Maurice claimed that Ruutu is tougher on Finnish players than others.
When Ruudu was now asked about the said claim, he laughed out loud.
– Paul must have said something. He always reminds you not to be so hard on Finns. No, he must have thrown the flap. You know Paul is a flapper.
Tuomo Ruutu gave an interview to with his daughter in his arms. He believed that his family knew how to enjoy the atmosphere of the final.
– It’s unique that you can experience something like this with your own children. Everyone knows that the days are long as a player, but three times longer as a coach. Without my family… I would be nothing. That’s just the way it is.
Where will you display the trophy in the summer?
– I haven’t even thought about it. At the moment, I’m not even pulling one day at a time, but one second and one minute at a time. Yes, I came up with something.
Eetu Luostarinen recalled his shock news
Eetu Luostarinen formed a reliable triple chain of Anton Lundell and Vladimir Tarasenko with. He scored 2+6 (+2) in the playoffs.
– A lot of work has been done for this, to be able to implement our game. The last two seasons have been towards dreams. We have shown that we are ready to win. Now we won, it’s unbelievable, Luostarinen expressed the atmosphere.
– Absolutely wonderful. I’m still in awe of what was done. Just trying to take everything in and enjoy this situation, Luostarinen described his emotional state.
In the final moments of the match, Luostarinen took an extremely important block when he stopped by Evan Bouchard shot. The Florida goal was already practically empty and the goalkeeper Sergei Bobrovsky on his back.
– You don’t have time to think in those end games. Pretty crazy final minutes. Add whatever comes up. Eat the puck and try to pass the time.
The Oilers were able to join the final series, when the Panthers were not at their best. According to Luostarinen, Florida allowed more easy goals per match.
– Now we were able to take hold in front of our home crowd, an incredible feeling.
In the spring of 2020, Luostarinen had been part of a large player trade. That’s when the Panthers sent by Vincent Trocheck In exchange for Carolina To Erik Haula and Lucas to Wallmark. Eetu Luostarinen also arrived in Florida, to whom few paid much attention in the trade news at the time.
– I played my first season abroad then. It came as a shock that I was the target of such a deal.
– But it has been nothing but good for me. I have been able to win the trust of the coaches and have been able to play a lot, developed as an athlete and as a person.
In the summer, Luostarinen, 25, will get to take the Stanley Cup to his hometown of Siilinjärvi. There was also family in Florida.
– It’s really great that the parents have been able to attend. They have pushed me since I was little and have done a lot for my career. In a way, it’s a win for them too.
Niko Mikkola: “I have not received anything for free”
Niko Mikkola, 28, played reliably in the playoffs and scored a couple of goals on that side (2+2, +4).
– It feels great and empty at the same time. It’s been a long season. Almost July and still played. Hard to put into words now.
– In such a pressure cooker all the time, up and down. Had a good game today. I’m proud of everyone.
Mikkola described the past week and the changing of the final settings as very tough. However, he felt that in the decisive final, the pressure had shifted to Edmonton.
– So that pressure quickly throws to the other side. They felt it today, we played maybe a little more freely.
Mikkola moved to Florida last summer from the New York Rangers. He moved to a team that already had a big finals disappointment in the season that ended.
– I haven’t gotten anything for free myself. I have had to push hard to get to this point.
– When I signed a contract here in the summer, I knew that this would be my best season. It’s been more fun this season than ever before as a player.
Mikkola also had some family there, but some had already traveled back to their native Finland. The defender thanked everyone for the many messages of congratulations.
What kind of parties in Kiiming in the summer?
– I don’t know, probably quite humid.