Finland’s floorball world champions talked about their tough golden celebrations. Heikki Iiskola had to go on Christmas vacation in an unpleasant way.
Joel Sippola,
Petra Manner
Finland’s men’s floorball team won its fifth World Cup gold when Sweden fell in Malmö. The championship was historic, because never before has Sweden missed out on gold medals in its home games.
Player of the golden team in question and representing Espoon Oilers at the club level Heikki Iiskola unfortunately had to go on Christmas vacation.
In the first match of the Games, he broke his hand. He fought tenaciously until the end of the tournament.
– It was pretty wild. Sometimes you couldn’t squeeze the stick, especially when it happened. When the swelling was reduced and the medication was increased, it got easier, Iiskola said on Sunday at Urheilustudio.
Iiskola’s hand was amputated. The attacker will probably be in the rink next time in two months.
The Oilers are defending last year’s Finnish championship. In the WC finals, he played with a broken leg.
Which one was worse to play with?
– Maybe it was the leg. When it came as a surprise, it was a little more difficult then, Iiskola recalled.
Hard parties
Jere Niemelä on the other hand, there was a rush to the Sports Studio, because he was going to play Classic on Sunday in an Indians shirt.
– We went through a long formula and won in overtime. It felt good.
Niemelä and many other Finnish national team players didn’t have time to catch their breath when the rush of the series was already calling. Already on Thursday, the team met their beloved local opponent Oilers.
– We had to catch our breath a bit, but luckily we were able to prepare for the Espoo derby right away. It got a good boost when the local clubs meet.
– However, we had to celebrate harder in a shorter time, Niemelä threw.
The team celebrated the championship until Tuesday.
– First Malmö was taken over. From there we came to Finland and went to Hotelli Vantaa. On Monday evening, there wasn’t much water anymore, so we went to test ourselves to see where there was a group, said Niemelä, who kept the rest to himself.
The ball from the Swedish player’s hand
The defender was responsible for the decisive 5–4 hit in the final Miska Mäkinen in overtime. When other Finnish players rushed to hug the hero of the match, Iiskola ran in the opposite direction.
He went to pick up Mäkinen’s ball home as a souvenir. It was the first hit of the 28-year-old defender’s career in the World Cup.
– The day before, Miska and I had talked that he could score the first goal and I would pass it. This is how it happened, and the first person to drink was to retrieve the ball from Miska. I watched as the other kids started running.
Iiskola was jerking the ball out of the Swedish player’s hand.
in SaiPa’s carriages
When Finland won its first floorball world championship in 2008, Iiskola was in middle school and Niemelä was in elementary school.
At that time, the famous one was responsible for the winning goal Tero Tiitu Rickie Hyvärinen great preliminary work. This also faded in overtime.
Niemelä remembers the goal vividly. He imagined he was Tero Tiitu during training.
– I had to do my homework upstairs before I could watch the final. A little tight, Iiskola laughed.
Niemelä, who comes from Lappeenranta, is a passionate supporter of the hockey club SaiPa. To everyone’s surprise, SaiPa pulled through the Christmas break at the top of the league.
– It is the best Christmas present after that trophy. It’s a really big deal in Lappeenranta that SaiPa is at the top. I hope it goes all the way.