Will we see Valtteri Filppula, who made Finnish hockey history, still in the national team? “I sensed that there would still be power”

Valtteri Filppula, who had a great early season in Switzerland, is thinking about the continuation of his national team career. The female lions’ top striker Michelle Karvinen will miss the next national team tournament.

The Lions’ team for the EHT tournament to be held in Turku in mid-November was named on Monday. The list lacked those who captained both gold teams of the season Valtteri Filppula name. He became the first Finn to win the world championship, the Olympic victory and the Stanley Cup.

There has been speculation about the national team future of the 38-year-old striker after the World Cup victory in the spring.

The head coach Jukka Jalonen according to Filppula has not yet made a decision regarding his national team career. Jalonen tells his and GM Jere Lehtinen has recently been in contact with a Finn playing in the Swiss club Servette.

– I sensed that there was still power, Jalonen says about Filppula’s intentions.

Filppula was born as the first child at the beginning of the year. That might be one of the reasons why Filppula will not be seen at least yet in the Finnish EHT tournament.

– He has a reasonably small child at home. I said that there is no point in fussing about this. He can think about it in peace.

Jalonen and Lehtinen plan to ask Filppula for the Swiss EHT tournament to be played in December. Filppula has played an excellent early season. The number one center of Servette, which leads the Swiss league, has scored eight goals and 19 points in 17 games.

– If he doesn’t go there, we’ll see in the spring if he’s available and how the game goes. It has gone very well so far, states Jalonen.

Karvinen not included

On Monday, the Women’s Lions team was also named for the national team tournament to be held in November. The team is missing one who is on the sidelines due to the ringette World Championships Susanna Tapani as well as being part of the offensive forces for more than ten years Michelle Karvinen. 32-year-old Karvinen is currently playing in Swedish Frölunda.

– Michelle has been involved for many years. The situation in life is that he is currently focusing on his club team in Sweden. Let’s respect that decision, Head Coach of the Women’s Lions Juuso Toivola comment.

Is a national team career included in the package?

– The doors are open both ways. Our message was that he is currently focused there. Let’s let time pass. We’ll see how life and hockey play out.

Jalos and Toivola were interviewed by Antti-Jussi Sipilä.

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