Important meetings have been held at the Teiskontie gas station among Tappara players. Ville Nieminen has still joined Pöytäseuruei, even though he has been in other clubs.
TAMPERE. Ville Nieminen sits down at the table at the Teiskontie gas station. The place is very familiar to the former Tappara player. He comes from nearby and also lived in the same area all his life.
– Now we are building a house half a kilometer away. This is a very popular area. All life has revolved within a few square kilometers. From here it is a short journey to Hakametsa. Children’s schools are here and everything, Nieminen tells Urheilu.
The service station is also important in the background of Tappara’s success. Lunches have been eaten at the station and get-togethers have been held among the players. The place is, for example Kristian Kuuselan standard position.
– It has been here for three decades. When the games moved to the arena, the players of Tappara and Ilves have changed places a bit, and it seems that not so many players live in this area anymore. But in any case, the games have been fixed here, Nieminen says.
Niemis especially remembers the time when he was driving back home from Lahti as Pelicans coach and saw familiar cars in the parking lot.
– Krisse Kuusela and his team were here. In exactly the same way, we motioned to the same table to eat lunch.
– All such encounters over the years have remained in my mind. Sometimes we have been in the same group and sometimes in different groups and still ate at the same table. This is Kuusela’s permanent place, since he lives next door.
Tappara is sometimes thought of as an outwardly stiff and sometimes even a bit boring company. A machine where everything is sporty and machine-like. However, this is not the case among players.
– Yes, there have still been a lot of personalities in Tappara. It just looked like a machine from the outside. But the tougher players, usually the tougher personalities there have been over the years. However, Tapparas has never lost to anyone in terms of color and personality.
This brings us to Nieminen’s favorite topic. Of course, he doesn’t describe the matter that way, but it is conveyed by Nieminen’s passionate speech about the matter.
Nieminen talks about how important it is for the entire SM league to have been in the series Jori Lehterän and Petri Kontiolan older players like According to him, they have set a level for the young players at which they must throw themselves into the game.
– How much energy do they energize the entire SM league and put energy into one match event? How they drive their soul out and throw themselves into the event and the game. It has left an indelible impression on this league.
That’s why it has been great for Niemi to follow Tappara’s actions, because he knows the background and what kind of influence Jori Lehterä has on the whole team. According to Nieminen, Lehterä has been able to pull it along like that Walter Merelää than Kristian Tanus too.
– These are big things for the entire SM league, that we see charismatic players childishly throwing themselves into these events.
Nieminen also reveals that in fact Lehterä also lived nearby for many years and this gas station was his number one place at the time.
– Yes, even today, if he drives by here, he’ll go for a coffee.
On Tuesday, Nieminen was actually taking a sauna at another cottage in Lehterä, where the center also lives at the moment.
– There was a game on Wednesday, so I went for an afternoon drive on Tuesday after arriving from Jyväskylä. We went to the sauna with the family.
Lehterä’s sauna is also popular among Tappara players.
– His cottage has great furnishings. The sauna is hot and the candy cabinet is always full, Nieminen says.
Nieminen has watched the finals with a special eye, as he has connections to both clubs. Nieminen coached the Pelicans in the 2018–2019 season, when the club finished third in the regular season. The next season was more difficult, and Jesse Welling replaced Nieminen before December.
– In Pelsui, I saw when the change started to take place. Even then, we saw that a change was coming in Lahti, and especially from the juniors. Now they have burst into the sunflower.
– Last year I was in Tappara half-time doing all kinds of handyman work and a bit of strategy for juniors. The finals have been great to watch.
Tappara has won the first two finals and can take a third shot at the Finnish championship at home on Saturday. Four wins are required for the championship.
– Yes, there will be a fifth game in Tampere and then we’ll see more. It won’t break in four, Nieminen predicts.
Listen live to the SM league finals from Puheee and follow the moment by moment with Urheilu’s sports day coverage.