Jokerit Helsinki 2014/2015 season talk

[checkerdome]

A little Off Topic, but I don't often get to talk to Finnish hockey fans...

How did Finnish hockey come to perfect the prototype for the "pest" that every pro team now possesses or seeks to have?

The very first "pest"(a player who is in the opposing team's face-yet is actually skilled enough to do something with the puck besides dumping it down the ice) I ever saw was Esa Tikkanen. The next perfect pest to come along was Jarkko Ruutu.

North American "pests" don't usually appear to have the same skill set as their Finnish counterparts.

I've hardly ever seen Mikko Koivu play, but my understanding is that he plays with that same edge as well.

 

[Finnpin]

Leo Komarov too. I wouldn't call Mikko Koivu a pest but he certainly has some nasty elements/edge in his game. Hard to say what is the reason, could be Tikkanen as example as so many saw what he was doing in NHL plus Jarkko probably would have never been a NHLer if he wasn't such a good pest. We have little tradition in that department and hopefully it continues in the future.

 

[Jussi]

A little Off Topic, but I don't often get to talk to Finnish hockey fans...

How did Finnish hockey come to perfect the prototype for the "pest" that every pro team now possesses or seeks to have?

The very first "pest"(a player who is in the opposing team's face-yet is actually skilled enough to do something with the puck besides dumping it down the ice) I ever saw was Esa Tikkanen. The next perfect pest to come along was Jarkko Ruutu.

North American "pests" don't usually appear to have the same skill set as their Finnish counterparts.

I've hardly ever seen Mikko Koivu play, but my understanding is that he plays with that same edge as well.

Most Finnish males are by nature what we call "vittumainen".

 

[Finnpin]

Most Finnish males are by nature what we call "vittumainen".

Could be that too

 

[checkerdome]

If Jarkko Ruutu retires; as some here have written he will, does Jokerit have someone in the wings to fill this role in the KHL?

 

[Finnpin]

If Jarkko Ruutu retires; as some here have written he will, does Jokerit have someone in the wings to fill this role in the KHL?

Antti Tyrväinen. Though he has only 1 year contract atm.

http://www.eliteprospects.com/player.php?player=11386

 

[Jussi]

Antti Tyrväinen. Though he has only 1 year contract atm.

http://www.eliteprospects.com/player.php?player=11386

He also has intentions of going back to NA (would need a new team of course).

 

[checkerdome]

Antti Tyrväinen. Though he has only 1 year contract atm.

http://www.eliteprospects.com/player.php?player=11386

Based on your link and his pictures via Google Images; his opponents won't be able to refer to Antti Tyrväinen as a "bowling ball with ears" as one Los Angeles player called Tikkanen when the Kings were playing the Oilers in 1990.

 

[Sanf]

A little Off Topic, but I don't often get to talk to Finnish hockey fans...

How did Finnish hockey come to perfect the prototype for the "pest" that every pro team now possesses or seeks to have?

The very first "pest"(a player who is in the opposing team's face-yet is actually skilled enough to do something with the puck besides dumping it down the ice) I ever saw was Esa Tikkanen. The next perfect pest to come along was Jarkko Ruutu.

North American "pests" don't usually appear to have the same skill set as their Finnish counterparts.

I've hardly ever seen Mikko Koivu play, but my understanding is that he plays with that same edge as well.

First @FinnPin I wouldn´t say that we don´t have a tradition (or did I misunderstood what you were saying). Arto "sika" (swine) Jokinen for example was quite notorious before Tikkanen. Of course before "Tikkanen era" our hockey wasn´t really on top international level.

Tikkanen grew up in semiprofessionalism era of Finnish hockey. Players were starting to be "stars", but the professionalism couldn´t restrict personas. Players were more of free spirits . IIRC Tikkanen told in some interview when he was small kid and was a mascot player in games and sitting somewhere behind the players bench he sometimes almost **** his pants listening players chirping to eachothers.

Star players were as "pests" as others. Usually actually the biggest ones. They knew that thay were best and weren´t shy to brag about it. Matti Keinonen member of IIHF Hall Of Fame was a huge pest. If there was a "bench clearing brawl" at that time Keinonen was likely someway behind it. (edit actually I did check and did find proof only from one occasion so memory didn´t serve me right on that one.)

It´s nice to see the legacy lives in some players like Nieminen,Komarov and Ruutu but there aren´t many players with decent (lets say to manage in KHL level) skill set and that kind of skill to get under players skin today.

 

[pulverapa]

How much € can Jokerit spend on their roster in the first KHL season, and how much will they spend this season in SM-Liiga?

 

[QnebO]

How much € can Jokerit spend on their roster in the first KHL season, and how much will they spend this season in SM-Liiga?

Last year their player budget was 3M from the start in SM-Liiga, then on the later season it did raise, I think up to 3,8M. I don't really know where it's going next season, in KHL probably its double or tirple the sum of that 3+ M.

 

[vorky]

How much € can Jokerit spend on their roster in the first KHL season, and how much will they spend this season in SM-Liiga?

According to KHL release, club paid 3-25M euro this season. I would say Jokerit will pay somewhere between 8-12M euro in 1st season.

 

[Jussi]

Last year their player budget was 3M from the start in SM-Liiga, then on the later season it did raise, I think up to 3,8M. I don't really know where it's going next season, in KHL probably its double or tirple the sum of that 3+ M.

Iltalehti did a story on it today. Currently Jokerit have sponsorship revenue worth 4 million euros. According to the insiders they interviewed, realistically they can increase that by few million, not by over 10 Harkimo hopes.

 

[Jussi]

http://keskustelu.jatkoaika.com/showpost.php?p=4836100&postcount=134

Translated:

According to rumors coming from the Jokerit front office, it seems the idea is to build the team around "players with big Jokerit hearts" (the likes of Jani Rita) and few highly paid "mercenaries" and young players whose goal is to make the NHL. The latter would play KHL couple of years before moving to NHL.

 

[Finnpin]

http://keskustelu.jatkoaika.com/showpost.php?p=4836100&postcount=134

Translated:

According to rumors coming from the Jokerit front office, it seems the idea is to build the team around "players with big Jokerit hearts" (the likes of Jani Rita) and few highly paid "mercenaries" and young players whose goal is to make the NHL. The latter would play KHL couple of years before moving to NHL.

That sounds really good. Hopefully they can achieve it too. But this is also results sport so we'll see.

 

[checkerdome]

First @FinnPin I wouldn´t say that we don´t have a tradition (or did I misunderstood what you were saying). Arto "sika" (swine) Jokinen...

Is the "swine" related to Olli(Jets) or Jussi Jokinen(Penguins) in the NHL?

 

[Finnpin]

First @FinnPin I wouldn´t say that we don´t have a tradition (or did I misunderstood what you were saying).

I said/ment we have little bit tradition.

 

[Puck Dogg]

If Jarkko Ruutu retires; as some here have written he will, does Jokerit have someone in the wings to fill this role in the KHL?

Ruutu - who turns 38 next month - is not going to make or break KHL-Jokerit in two years. If he is still around, good for him.

What comes to the other players, Jokerit and their possible KHL roster is currently all pure speculation and innuendo.

Jokerit will also play the next season still in SM-Liiga. It will be interesting to see how that works out, knowing that it will be their last for some time.

 

[checkerdome]

@Flying_Finn

Re: Your avatar; is that a headshot of Teemu Selanne or of his twin brother?

 

[Mikey09]

I'm still hoping, the KHL will be more tough, something like NHL. Jokerit can bring some interesting names like Vaananen, Ruutu, Tyrvainen. Or some north players like Oliver Lauridsen and Ole-Kristian Tollefsen. I'm hoping for that, 'cause fights can get more people on games.

 

[Sanf]

Is the "swine" related to Olli(Jets) or Jussi Jokinen(Penguins) in the NHL?

Can´t be 100% sure but likely not.

 

[checkerdome]

I suspected as much when I checked their Wikipedia entries and only found the following:


"Jussi Jokinen is of no relation to Olli Jokinen of the Winnipeg Jets, but has a younger brother, Juho, who currently plays for Kärpät in the Finnish SM-liiga.


"Olli's older brother, Ville, played 47 games in SM-liiga, scoring four points."


I just thought there might be some posters here who would might have more complete information.

 

[Finnpin]

Jokerit boss Hjallis Harkimo was planning to start his summer vacation this week but tweeted that he has canceled it at least with 1 week as he is so busy. That is commitment.

 

[Finnpin]

@preissingg, talking about pests Savinainen has signed a deal to KHL. Another Finnish pest in the making.

 

[checkerdome]

@preissingg, talking about pests Savinainen has signed a deal to KHL. Another Finnish pest in the making.

Kiitos!!



Pests and shutdown goaltenders(Rinne, Rask, (a younger) Kiprusoff, Kari Lehtonen and Karri Ramo in the KHL) are pretty substantial positional contributions to hockey.