Rauma’s Lukko and Pori’s Ässät meet on outdoor ice in the Satakunta winter classic for the first time in 54 years.
Päivi Meritähti,
Pipsa Uutto-Rajakallio
On the weekend, two ice hockey league matches will be played outside, on the artificial ice rink in Pori.
An outdoor match has not been played in Finland since 2017. Then, in a match played in Kaisaniemi, Helsinki, HIFK and Oulun Kärpät met.
Now, on Friday and Saturday, the Satakunta teams Pori Ässät and Rauman Lukko face each other.
Outdoor matches are a rare treat for both the audience and the players.
The captain of the Pori Ässie team has previously played in the league’s outdoor matches Jan-Mikael Järvinen, Olli Palola and Roope Talaja.
Rauma Luko has experience in outdoor matches Henri Ikosella, Joni Ortio and the captain Sebastian Revolla.
High expectations for the atmosphere
Sebastian Repo played in Sorsapuisto in Tampere in the match between Tappara and Ilves in 2016.
Memories from less than ten years ago are frozen. It was almost twenty degrees below zero.
– There was a lot of adjusting to stay warm. The snow also brought its own additional spice. The puck didn’t move that well, and that affected the tempo of the game. You also had to be careful not to miss the puck.
For this weekend, Repo has prepared like any other game. However, he sets high expectations for the atmosphere.
– There is always hype around such an event. You get butterflies in your stomach in different ways when you know that there will be a good feeling and plenty of noise.
Jan-Mikael Järvinen has had time to play on outdoor ice a few times.
– I don’t remember much about the game itself, when there is a lot of other show, noise and buzz around it. Maybe now I’ll be able to enjoy the event so much that I’ll remember something about the game.
In an event that gets a lot of attention, players can easily be tempted to show off spectacular game moves. However, Järvinen’s focus is clear.
– Many are excited about the event, so it’s better to focus on the basics. If you wait to do something, you can lose the whole game. Let’s just try to enjoy it like young boys frolic on the ice outside: with a happy expression and sweat on their heads.