Mira Jalosuo was part of the Minnesota coaching staff that celebrated the historic PWHL hockey championship. Venla Hovi, who coached in North America, assesses the significance of the achievement.
Matti Lehtisaari,
Manu Myllyaho
The first season of the PWHL, the professional women’s hockey league in North America, culminated in a celebration in Minnesota. Minnesota defeated Boston 3–2 in the final series. There was also a Finnish color at the championship celebration, when Mira Jalosuo served as an assistant coach at Minnesota.
– A really big deal. It has been great to follow Jalosuo’s career. We have both been able to coach in North America. This shows Jalosuo’s know-how, Venla Court glorifies Jalosuo’s achievement.
With his success, Jalosuo points the way for other Finnish coaches.
– Role models are really important, whether they are on the field or behind the players on the bench. We’ll see where we can get to, Hovi emphasizes.
Hovi also encourages Finns to go and make their dreams come true, all the way to North America.
– If you are interested in coaching, you have the courage and desire, then I encourage you to go. There is more competition, but on the other hand there are also mentors and people who want to help forward, Hovi says.
Savolainen and Tulus are high in the evaluations of the upcoming draft
Boston forward Susanna Tapani played as the only Finn in the first season of the PWHL. Tapani started his season in a Minnesota jersey, but he moved to Boston in the February player trade.
The PWHL’s upcoming booking event will be held on June 10. Prestigious Canadian disc publication The Hockey News lift Ronja Savolainen and Noora Tulusen in the top ten in the advance estimates of the booking event. Both have played in Sweden, in Luleå.
From the PWHL website it turns out that a total of six Finnish players have registered for the reservation event: Ida KuoppalaNora Tulus, Blue KarelianRonja Savolainen, Meeri Räisänen and Nora Räty.
At the event, the league’s teams reserve 42 players. However, the reservation does not yet guarantee a direct place in the league. The team may end up not offering a contract.
– Of course, I expect that the top players of the national team would join the series (PWHL), says Hovi.
Finns entering the world’s toughest professional league has far-reaching effects.
– Finnish women’s ice hockey needs to play harder matches in a small rink. Now new names will be included in the draft, says Hovi.
The PWHL exploded interest in women’s hockey
The first season of the PWHL was a great success. The audience records for women’s ice hockey were broken. The tough professional league clearly had orders and demand.
– This has been awaited for years. It has been known that women’s hockey is interesting. Now this year the interest exploded. The investment has paid off, it’s been great to see so many people at the games, Hovi is happy.
The hard investments have paid off.
– Now that the big investors got involved, the series has been invested in and the matches in good halls, people did come. I believe that after this season, everything will continue in an upward direction, Hovi estimates.
The PWHL had six teams in its first season. Hovi is convinced that even more teams will play in the series in the future.
– Playing skills would be enough for several teams. I hope that in a few years there will be talk of eight or ten teams. I myself went to Detroit, where 14,000 people were present. 7,000 of them were little girls playing hockey.
Hovi himself has bigger things in his life now than hockey.
– My target is in September. The baby is coming then, my own life will change. Coaching remains the second part. But after that, things will definitely continue at Harvard, if something else doesn’t happen along the way, Hovi thinks.