Hannu Jortikka's observations during his year in Siberia

[Jussi]

These were on today's paper version of Iltalehti. Some of them here: http://www.iltalehti.fi/jaakiekko/2012122116482819_jk.shtml

"Like in prison"

I couldn't go anywhere in the evenings. I had three guys watching over me who reported on what I was doing. Maybe I could go eat some place but no chance of going for a beer or a sportsbar. It was disgusting, watching over me like a little child.

Alcohol is a huge problem there. I'm not talking about our organization but just the whole society. A couple of times I had to intervene in the team, only for these people to go to war against me.(note: Jortikka himself is no stranger to alcohol, so when he finds it excessive, that's something. )

"Incredible popularity"

It was absolutely ridiculous. My wife got fed up with it when we went to the supermarket. People of all ages wanted have their picture with me and people from behind the meat counter wanted my autograph. I tried to be polite towards everyone. I think it's apart of this profession, all the European players understand that you have to take the fans into consideration. Now I hear fans have been trying to organize a demonstration. This sacking has made me realize how backwards that place in some sense still is.

"Tough values"

There really is a "**** the poor" mentality in Russia. If someone's lying on the street bloodied, that's where he'll stay. No one will check up on him. Wife's are like Christmas trees, yet every rich guy has to have a girl friend on the side. If you don't you're a clown. Those values are fairly similar to America. Everything is for sale and corruption is rampant. Of course I can't go to details since I don't have the evidence. We always say in Finland that we are not looking for someone guilty/to blame. In Russia, they do the exact opposite.

"The walls have ears"

They assured me they behind me while they were just watching over me. Every bit of knowledge passed on. If some player got an earful in a road game, the following day even the arena cleaners knew about it. In a Finnish club, the GM doesn't necessarily know what is said in the locker room. At Amur, everything was leaked. That organization won't change. The same people have been there for 20 years and they'll cover each other *****.

There was also an uninteresting account on meeting minister Viktor Isavjev who was on his side all the time and said the club can't continue this way and Jortikka has to get the bosses to realize that.

Click to read more...

 

[BalticWarrior]

Well it IS siberia,what did he expect? Ofcourse its backwards.

 

[Jussi]

Well it IS siberia,what did he expect? Ofcourse its backwards.

 

[Dynamo81]

Sounds like a bitter old fool. Making it sound like he was a tourist in North Korea

I couldn't go anywhere in the evenings. I had three guys watching over me who reported on what I was doing. Maybe I could go eat some place but no chance of going for a beer or a sportsbar. It was disgusting, watching over me like a little child.

Alcohol is a huge problem there. I'm not talking about our organization but just the whole society. A couple of times I had to intervene

Obviously he went to Bars

 

[Jussi]

Sounds like a bitter old fool. Making it sound like he was a tourist in North Korea


Obviously he went to Bars

I think he was more bitter towards the organization but fool he is not. A fool doesn't take a ****** team like Habarovsk to the playoffs. Grumpy he is, like always.

The latter was missing one key aspect from the translation.

 

[SimplySensational]

Reminds me a lot of Boudreau in his bitterness.

 

[cska78]

I think he was more bitter towards the organization but fool he is not. A fool doesn't take a ****** team like Habarovsk to the playoffs. Grumpy he is, like always.

The latter was missing one key aspect from the translation.

last year Khabarovsk wans't a sh... team, travel is what kills them

 

[Jussi]

Reminds me a lot of Boudreau in his bitterness.

Jortikka has never shyed away from speaking his mind. At the Calgay Olympics, Canada had asked to measure a Finnish player's stick(don't recall how the call went) during the game. Finland won and after the game at the hallways, Jortikka (assistant coach for team Finland) yelled at Dave King "You ****ing loser!". And when things don't go his team's way, he lets it known quite vocally. His own players can expect to be publicly ridiculed (look up Joni Ortio's impression of him at Youtube), usually in a very humorous way.

 

[SimplySensational]

Jortikka has never shyed away from speaking his mind. At the Calgay Olympics, Canada had asked to measure a Finnish player's stick(don't recall how the call went) during the game. Finland won and after the game at the hallways, Jortikka (assistant coach for team Finland) yelled at Dave King "You ****ing loser!". And when things don't go his team's way, he lets it known quite vocally. His own players can expect to be publicly ridiculed (look up Joni Ortio's impression of him at Youtube), usually in a very humorous way.

Well considering the fact when he was first fired he wanted to keep his job, now his response is essentially "good I didn't want the job anyways!"

Epic butt hurt.

 

[LSnow]

Well considering the fact when he was first fired he wanted to keep his job, now his response is essentially "good I didn't want the job anyways!"

Epic butt hurt.

Yeah he is a pretty hilarious character.

 

[Siberian]

Apparentely he was loved by majority of Amur players. We need such passionate people in hockey.

 

[Atas2000]

My first observation: Hannu of course visited Siberia on away games, but Khabarovsk is not Siberia. Some ppl need to learn geography.

The stuff he's talking is also typical. There is to much Jortikka in whatever he's drinking.

 

[cska78]

he is very missed apparently, plenty of fan flash-mobs, t-shirts and signs in his support. Signs were ripped out by police without any explanation.

 

[Jussi]

Well considering the fact when he was first fired he wanted to keep his job, now his response is essentially "good I didn't want the job anyways!"

Epic butt hurt.

That's not at all what he's saying, you have trouble with reading comprehension. He's criticizing the club's bosses and bluntly saying his observations on life in Habarovsk in general. No Finn is surprised by his comments, he's always been very blunt(most often too blunt, he doesn't know to hold back ) with his opinions.

 

[Jussi]

My first observation: Hannu of course visited Siberia on away games, but Khabarovsk is not Siberia. Some ppl need to learn geography.

The stuff he's talking is also typical. There is to much Jortikka in whatever he's drinking.

No one cares. It's close enough.

 

[premadonna]

The Man, The Legend - Hannu Jortikka.

Jortikka's always a great interview. It's a serious subject, but Jortikka talking about how "alcohol is a problem there" made me giggle.

 

[od71]

No one cares. It's close enough.

I don't think so. Trip on airliner from Novosibirsk (center of Siberia) to Khabarovsk takes 4,5 hours.
Again: Khabarovsk is not Siberia, it's a Far East

 

[Atas2000]

No one cares. It's close enough.

Finland still a part of Russia? I think no one cares.

P.S. That's exactly the attitude that lets you lose all credibility. Well, maybe ignorance is strength someplace...

 

[Den]

No one cares. It's close enough.

How is it going in Sweden?

 

[Den]

He got it right on "Tough values". It's a post Wild West society, well .. in this case Wild East..

I think at this point general kindness to your neighbors is quite down on the list, while "die for my family" is quite high. People tend to dedicate themselves to the family

 

[Faterson]

According to the three-coloured map on Wikipedia's page for Siberia, Khabarovsk can also be considered "Siberia". Just saying!

 

[Acallabeth]

According to the three-coloured map on Wikipedia's page for Siberia, Khabarovsk can also be considered "Siberia". Just saying!

And according to some Chinese schoolbooks, it's a part of China. Don't trust the maps, trust me.
Being Siberian myself, I see this as an insult! Khabarovsk is placed ~2000 km to the East from Eastern Siberian Platform (idk how it's called in English, but it's the analogue of Angaralandia) and has warm monsoon climate. The farthest Eastern (and coldest) region of Siberia is Yakutia.

How is it going in Sweden?

Finland still a part of Russia? I think no one cares.

Come on guys, don't be rude on Jussi, his native country is sofa-sized

 

[Siberian]

My first observation: Hannu of course visited Siberia on away games, but Khabarovsk is not Siberia. Some ppl need to learn geography.

The stuff he's talking is also typical. There is to much Jortikka in whatever he's drinking.

It seems it is you who doesn't know what Siberia is. Asian part of Russia is all Siberia. Russian Far East is Siberia. Everything behind Ural mountains is Siberia.

 

[Atas2000]

It seems it is you who doesn't know what Siberia is. Asian part of Russia is all Siberia. Russian Far East is Siberia. Everything behind Ural mountains is Siberia.

I hope your geography teacher never gets to read it. Geographically drainage bassins are whre you draw the line. Siberian rivers flow to the Arctic Ocean. Russian far East rivers flow into the Pacific. Khabarovsk or Kamtchatka are never considered part of East Siberia.

 

[Siberian]

I hope your geography teacher never gets to read it.

Just out of laughs. Can you tell me where lies this Siberian border? You with your extensive knowledge of geography should be able to tell us with ease.