Kiiskinen makes it to ice hockey World Championships
Important goals days before the start of the tournament secure KalPa forward a place in the Finnish national team line-up
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The Finnish national ice hockey team head coach Jukka Jalonen compared the dropping of players out of the national team roster to a small spiritual death.
That it was, at least for some of the players. Others already knew or guessed their fate.
“We will not explain our decisions to anybody. Such commentary would be pointless. This is how things go in team sports”, Jalonen said moments before the composition of the national team was made public.
For Tuomas Kiiskinen from KalPa of Kuopio, Jalonen’s message was anything but paralysing. The ever-smiling Kiiskinen’s securing a place in the national team roster crushed the myth that someone like him, who is somewhat small in stature, could never make it.
“I have to admit, I was not sure whether to believe it at first”, Kiiskinen said about his selection.
“When I came aboard, I thought that I will take it one game at a time, and that everything would have to go perfectly for me to make the team.”
Apparently everything did go perfectly, as Kiiskinen scored a goal against the Czech Republic on Saturday and another one against Sweden on Sunday in a tournament played in the Czech Republic.
“Nice to notice that these games do count”, Kiiskinen said enthusiastically.
The last two games Kiiskinen played in the same line with Mikko Koivu and Jussi Jokinen. The NHL-players’ skating looked so heavy that compared to them Kiiskinen appeared to be flying.
”At present it seems that all my shots go in”, Kiiskinen said enthusiastically.
“When you make it into a good line, you have to produce the results. This definitely gave me a self-confidence peak for the remainder of the season”, Kiiskinen continued before he knew that he really had secured a place in the World Championship tournament to be hosted jointly by Finland and Sweden.
Kiiskinen is a prime example of how competent linemates can elevate a player onto a new level.
The Sweden game had two absolute highlights. Kiiskinen’s 3-1 goal was one of them and the second one was the winning shot by Ville Peltonen’s. The Swedish goalie Jhonas Enroth may have provided some help by allowing the puck to slip in under his arm, but perhaps a veteran such as Peltonen deserves some assistance.
Peltonen did score a goal, but that was not enough to guarantee him a place in the national team roster. The goal will remain in history, for more than likely it will be Peltonen’s last one representing the Finnish “Lions”.
The 1995 World Champion learned how to beat Sweden already in the 1990s, and the skill is still there. Apparently one never gets tired of scoring goals against Sweden.
“Of course it was important”, Peltonen said about his goal but did not take too much stress from the fact that he did not make it to the World Championships.
Of the defenders, Joonas Järvinen ploughed his way into the national team line-up for the first time. The Turku native was one of the strongholds of Lahti Pelicans team this season.
Of the forwards, Jani Tuppurainen from this season’s Finnish Champions JYP Jyväskylä, pushed himself into the national team roster through the kitchen door, so to speak. In addition to him, Valtteri Vilppula, Kiiskinen, and Jesse Joensuu will also have their national team line-up debut in this spring’s tournament.
Joensuu did belong to the national team that won the World Championship last year, but he failed to receive any actual playing time.
The tournament in the Czech Republic Finland won convincingly, beating Sweden 4-1 in the final game.
For the World Championship tournament, however, Sweden will get another ten or so players from the NHL, whereas the Finnish team’s line-up is already more or less ready, save one or two players.
The IIHF Ice Hockey World Championships will commence in Helsinki and Stockholm on May 4th.
The Finnish national ice hockey team head coach Jukka Jalonen compared the dropping of players out of the national team roster to a small spiritual death.
That it was, at least for some of the players. Others already knew or guessed their fate.
“We will not explain our decisions to anybody. Such commentary would be pointless. This is how things go in team sports”, Jalonen said moments before the composition of the national team was made public.
For Tuomas Kiiskinen from KalPa of Kuopio, Jalonen’s message was anything but paralysing. The ever-smiling Kiiskinen’s securing a place in the national team roster crushed the myth that someone like him, who is somewhat small in stature, could never make it.
“I have to admit, I was not sure whether to believe it at first”, Kiiskinen said about his selection.
“When I came aboard, I thought that I will take it one game at a time, and that everything would have to go perfectly for me to make the team.”
Apparently everything did go perfectly, as Kiiskinen scored a goal against the Czech Republic on Saturday and another one against Sweden on Sunday in a tournament played in the Czech Republic.
“Nice to notice that these games do count”, Kiiskinen said enthusiastically.
The last two games Kiiskinen played in the same line with Mikko Koivu and Jussi Jokinen. The NHL-players’ skating looked so heavy that compared to them Kiiskinen appeared to be flying.
”It seems that all my shots are going in”, Kiiskinen said enthusiastically.
“When you make it into a good line, you have to produce the results. This definitely gave me a self-confidence peak for the remainder of the season”, Kiiskinen continued before he knew that he really had secured a place in the World Championship tournament to be hosted jointly by Finland and Sweden.
Kiiskinen is a prime example of how competent linemates can elevate a player onto a new level.
The Sweden game had two absolute highlights. Kiiskinen’s 3-1 goal was one of them and the second one was the winning shot by Ville Peltonen’s. The Swedish goalie Jhonas Enroth may have provided some help by allowing the puck to slip in under his arm, but perhaps a veteran such as Peltonen deserves some assistance.
Peltonen did score a goal, but that was not enough to guarantee him a place in the national team roster. The goal will remain in history, for more than likely it will be Peltonen’s last one representing the Finnish “Lions”.
The 1995 World Champion learned how to beat Sweden already in the 1990s, and the skill is still there. Apparently one never gets tired of scoring goals against Sweden.
“Of course it was important”, Peltonen said about his goal but did not take too much stress from the fact that he did not make it to the World Championships.
Of the defenders, Joonas Järvinen ploughed his way into the national team line-up for the first time. The Turku native was one of the strongholds of Lahti Pelicans team this season.
Of the forwards, Jani Tuppurainen from this season’s Finnish Champions JYP Jyväskylä, pushed himself into the national team roster through the kitchen door, so to speak. In addition to him, Valtteri Vilppula, Kiiskinen, and Jesse Joensuu will also have their national team line-up debut in this spring’s tournament.
Joensuu did belong to the national team that won the World Championship last year, but he failed to receive any actual playing time.
The tournament in the Czech Republic Finland won convincingly, beating Sweden 4-1 in the final game.
For the World Championship tournament, however, Sweden will get another ten or so players from the NHL, whereas the Finnish team’s line-up is already more or less ready, save one or two players.
The IIHF Ice Hockey World Championships will commence in Helsinki and Stockholm on May 4th.
Previously in HS International Edition:
Plenty of tickets still available for the Helsinki matches of this spring’s IIHF Ice Hockey World Championships (19.4.2012)
Teemu Selänne to skip this spring´s Ice Hockey World Championships (17.4.2012)
Links:
2012 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championships Finland & Sweden
Helsingin Sanomat
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| 30.4.2012 - TODAY |
Kiiskinen makes it to ice hockey World Championships
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