Last battle of the greatest ones

[Metalcommand]

We have arrived at this point. Selänne, Timonen, Salo, S.Koivu and probably OJ and others will never play for the national team again. For me it doesn't matter if they win tomorrow, it's the last time I see the guys I grew up with in Finland jersey. Especially Teemu, there might never be one like him in all the world, not just Finland.

I will always cheer and love the team just as much as always, but the single individuals no comparison. I'm a 20 year old guy and these guys and some of those that have already retired are those that we always ''were'' in pihapelit. It'll be such a sad moment for me and probably even to older people. They were the generation. Didn't get the ultimate goal this tournament or many others. But they are the greatest ones. And after tomorrow they are gone. And that fact is killing me. I think it'll hurt more than anything I have seen the Lions go through.

Life will go on, there will be new heroes for us but I can't shake this horrible feeling that tomorrow, no matter loss or win, something horrible will happen. It's the end of an era. The end of the era where greatest Finnish players ever played.

I didn't know anywhere else where to post this, although this forum is rarely visited. Guess I just needed write what I feel somewhere. **** the **** I said about I might cry tomorrow. I will cry.

Click to read more...

 

[edd1e]

I've watched ice hockey and especially team Finland for twenty years now and for me these guys did put us in the hockey map, but seemed to lack something. I cant say what it is because i only had a feeling of this.

I'm grateful of the things these guys did but im also happy that there is a new generation rising.

 

[Petri1981]

I've watched ice hockey and especially team Finland for twenty years now and for me these guys did put us in the hockey map, but seemed to lack something. I cant say what it is because i only had a feeling of this.

I'm grateful of the things these guys did but im also happy that there is a new generation rising.

They didnt win anything. Many times they came close but never had the last pinch to win in the finals... Im also glad about the new generation. WC 2011 & WJC 2014 shows our new guys have the balls to actually win. And im also grateful for these older guys, but they just didnt have the winning culture in them.

 

[bebl]

Selanne has been just terrible. Why he didn't quit last summer? I'm happy that this tournament is his last.

 

[JJTT]

too sad

 

[Karma_]

For me, following hockey began at Lillehammer Olympics -94, and for me that was the beginning of this generation.
Players like Saku Koivu, Jere Lehtinen, Sami Kapanen, Ville Peltonen as examples were already there, and suddenly (for a young kid) it looked like Finland was destined to be the very best hockey team in the future.

I think its kind of cool that we can still possibly see Mikko Koivu, Kasperi Kapanen and the son of reliable Tappara Tampere center Alexander Barkov in the national team, and other forms of continuity.

I'll have to admit I have occasionally been extremely down on our whole hockey program over these 2 decades, and I think anyone who has followed finnish hockey this time can understand why, and its pointless rehashing the negative parts.

But now, at the twilight of this generation I have been able to put their achievements in a context, and appreciate their achievements, and hope the future generation can match and even best them.
Maybe the junior world championships this year was an omen of things to come.

 

[m4tt145]

Generations come and go, it was the same for us when Sundin, Forsberg and Lidström all quit. Finland got some great youth coming up in the NHL who in time will replace the former stars. You should be happy.

 

[kelsier]

An era ended in Sotshi and a new one is about to begin. You wouldn't be a finnish hockey fan if the name Selänne didn't bring up some feeling. Somehow would think like the guy could put up another season or two if he so wanted, but what for? He needs rest and seriously does he not deserve it, just like they all do! Not to take away anything from other guys that are retiring (Timonen, Jokinen etc), but Selänne is/was unique player and even more so unique person. Even if we somehow managed to produce another legendary type of a hockey player in terms of skill, there's less chance he'd ever posses the kind of characteristic. Can't remember ever hearing anyone saying anything but positive things from players or people who associated with him. Respect.

Kinda funny that a Swedish guy comes up here pointing out the obvious. Finland will be better than ever in the up coming years and o'boy have we waited for it. Golden era for Finnish hockey! Now, as the old saying goes, patience is a virtue. Just a few more years...

 

[FiLe]

They were the generation.

I was feeling this way when Kurri, Helminen, Lumme, Tikkanen, Ruuttu and others hung up their skates one by one. Despite us being way into the Koivu-Selänne-Peltonen era by then, I thought these next ones simply couldn't compare.

There will ALWAYS be the next "great generation". 15-20 years from now, someone born today will muse back to Granlund, Teräväinen, Barkov, Määttä, Vatanen and others and think these new kids have nothin' on them.

 

[Fredrik_71]

Thanks for the olympics guys. It was great watching Selänne and the other guys one more, maybe last, time. Looking forward to the next comptition when I'm sure another great generation of finns will make sweden look silly from time to time. If the WJC showed anything its that both Sweden and Finland are well set for the future.

I almost lost it during the interview between Selänne and Kaj. A heart breaker for sure.

 

[Raimo Sillanpää]

"If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of giants." - Isaac Newton

There was a bunch of guys before Kurri, Tikkanen. They were the first to play in North America, they were the first players in SM-Liiga who started to be able to have a career of playing hockey..
And not doing stuff like teaching at the same time

Kurri and co we know. That generation came home as the first to win the Stanley Cup, first to take it into a sauna, first to win an NHL trophy, first to be considered best something, even if only best european, first to win something (Calgary 88)

And now we say goodbye to Selänne, Koivu, OJ. Lehtinen, Peltonen etc have gone before. First to win gold. First to medal consistently. Not once or twice, but over and over again. First to have a starting goalie in the NHL (Pasi Nurminen), first to have a worlds best something, Worlds best goal scorer, worlds best defensive forward (imo Lehtinen>>Kurri)

The next generation?
They're continuing to medal consistently (in fact, our pace of medals is picking up - continuing improvement), they've already got a worlds best (goalie).
I think when the intersection point comes, when this generation is at its best, and the next generations best start taking their first steps in the national team..
Then, then we will bring home Olympic gold.

I see our improvement as having been a steady and gradual progression, and all the signs show it as continuing to do so.

 

[FiLe]

You know, there is something that is fundamentally wrong with the current situation, IMO.

I'm talking about the fact that we can clearly distinguish generations in the first place. All the honor to the legends it's helped create, but at the same time it's a sign of stagnation and complacency.

It's our own fault that our junior mill almost ground to a halt. However, as long as we had the now-retiring NT staples still able and willing to play, it was far harder to do anything to the source of the problem and just pretend everything is fine.

Already people are talking how Granlund, Barkov, Määttä and who else are going to lead us for the next 15 years, but I sure as hell hope that in the future, there are no clearly-discernible generation gaps. A healthy national team should have an age structure of 35-30-25-20, not one of 40-30-20.

I've no doubt that our 90-borns will be still useful when they're 35 to 40 years old. And while I've got no doubt either that in four years time, our team will look far better on paper as well, don't for the sake of all that's dear just stop there. There should be new kids who are ready to be brought into the mix at steady intervals, not only when one's forced to do so because the old ones are running out of gas. So that we could reminisce back to the careers of individual players when they're retiring, not whole troops of them.

 

[Jersey Fan 12]

Finnish humour?

Selanne has been just terrible. Why he didn't quit last summer? I'm happy that this tournament is his last.