Finnish players and NCAA hockey

[Jersey Fan 12]

It seems like there were more players who considered this route in the past. Are there any of the current prospects who might be heading to US college hockey?

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[P-M Bouchard]

Erik Haula (for Minnesota Golden Gophers 2010-2014).

 

[Jersey Fan 12]

Erik Haula (for Minnesota Golden Gophers 2010-2014).

Interesting to see he was also drafted in CHL's import draft yesterday. Is he re-considering the NCAA route? It seems like the Wild went out of their way to put a "Minnesota" spin to their draft this year. That was a common criticism of the Risebrough-Lemaire regime. In addition to selecting Nick Leddy they also drafted a Swedish forward who played at Shattuck-St. Mary. Though I believe he is committed to going to Harvard.

 

[Jukka Ropponen]

I have been promoting U.S. college hockey route for quite some time (since I coached college hockey 91-92) and always been wondering why there are so few Finnish player to take this approach. For most of the young men this would be the best possible route for good hockey career and also getting their education at the same time and making sure they have plan B if hockey does not pan out as career for them. Way too many hockey players put all their efforts behind hockey career and then end up with no decent profession when they realize that hockey will not be their career after all. Also spending 4 years at college gives young players more time to mature than playing Jun A at Finland as the competition to make it to either Elite league or Mestis (2nd level of pro hockey) is fierce.

I think last season there was only 3 or 4 Finnish players at Div I schools and next season there will be at least one more (Matti Järvinen from Espoo Blues).

Jukka

 

[Tormentor]

I have been promoting U.S. college hockey route for quite some time (since I coached college hockey 91-92) and always been wondering why there are so few Finnish player to take this approach.

Antti Laaksonen, Toni Söderholm and Tuomas Tarkki made a great career for themselves by choosing NCAA route, but I guess that we still need more pioneers, because college hockey seems a bit foreign and unfamiliar for many Finns.

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OT: Would be great to read opinions from a pro about rising Finnish goalie prospects, either here on HFBoards or on your Blog.

Some possible topics:

• Is the talent pool of Finnish goalies still as good as it was a couple of years ago, are there future NHL'ers on the horizon?
• Mikko Koskinen and Petteri Similä (Development of taller goalies)
• Overall level of goalie coaching in junior teams at the moment.
• Christopher Gibson (A former Blues junior was picked in the CHL Import Draft)
• Who are the top contenders for a place in the next Finnish U20WJC team (Joni Ortio, Rasmus Rinne, Petteri Similä, Erno Suomalainen, Joonas Kuusela, Veli-Heikki Mäenalanen, Frans Tuohimaa... ?)
• Finnish goalies in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft (Are there goalies with a chance of getting drafted? Sami Aittokallio, Kristian Järvinen, Jonathan Iilahti, Riku Härmä, Ville Kolppanen...)

 

[Jukka Ropponen]

Antti Laaksonen, Toni Söderholm and Tuomas Tarkki made a great career for themselves by choosing NCAA route, but I guess that we still need more pioneers, because college hockey seems a bit foreign and unfamiliar for many Finns.

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OT: Would be great to read opinions from a pro about rising Finnish goalie prospects, either here on HFBoards or on your Blog.

Some possible topics:

• Is the talent pool of Finnish goalies still as good as it was a couple of years ago, are there future NHL'ers on the horizon?
• Mikko Koskinen and Petteri Similä (Development of taller goalies)
• Overall level of goalie coaching in junior teams at the moment.
• Christopher Gibson (A former Blues junior was picked in the CHL Import Draft)
• Who are the top contenders for a place in the next Finnish U20WJC team (Joni Ortio, Rasmus Rinne, Petteri Similä, Erno Suomalainen, Joonas Kuusela, Veli-Heikki Mäenalanen, Frans Tuohimaa... ?)
• Finnish goalies in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft (Are there goalies with a chance of getting drafted? Sami Aittokallio, Kristian Järvinen, Jonathan Iilahti, Riku Härmä, Ville Kolppanen...)

Thanks for the input. It could be a good idea sometime this coming fall to write a blog article about Finnish goalie talent pool and especially about the system behind it. While Finnish goalie coaching system is good it still has a lot of room for improvement and if we don't develop our methods, others will catch up with us.

Jukka

 

[Jukka Ropponen]

We are starting a small program to help players, especially goalies to go after U.S. college path as we strongly believe in this combination of great academics and good hockey programs. More info at our Blog.

Jukka

 

[Jersey Fan 12]

NCAA players at WJC

With Erik Autio and Mika Ilvonen both on the preliminary roster I was wondering how many players from the college route have played for Finland through the years.

I know that Erik Haula was at Minnesota when he played for Finland in 2011 and that Jarmo Kekalainen played for Finland in the WJC before he went to Clarkson.

Are there others I am missing?

 

[Tormentor]

With Erik Autio and Mika Ilvonen both on the preliminary roster I was wondering how many players from the college route have played for Finland through the years.

I know that Erik Haula was at Minnesota when he played for Finland in 2011 and that Jarmo Kekalainen played for Finland in the WJC before he went to Clarkson.

Are there others I am missing?

Marko Tuomainen and Petteri Koskimäki. Kai Kantola was selected to the Finnish WJC team in 2006-07, but at the last minute the tournament directorate decided that he's ineligible to represent Finland.

 

[Jersey Fan 12]

Interesting that Koskimaki was drafted but never played after BU. Was that an injury situation or did he simply have other interests once he finished college?

Marko Tuomainen and Petteri Koskimäki. Kai Kantola was selected to the Finnish WJC team in 2006-07, but at the last minute the tournament directorate decided that he's ineligible to represent Finland.

 

[Tormentor]

Interesting that Koskimaki was drafted but never played after BU. Was that an injury situation or did he simply have other interests once he finished college?

That's a question I don't have an answer to.

EDIT. That 1990-91 BU team seems to have had some future stars on it. If notrhing else, at least he got to play with Keith Tkachuk, Tony Amonte and Shawn McEachern.