Memories of Sinisalo, Mäkelä and Skriko in NHL

[hannes_ko]

Teemu Selänne, Olli Jokinen and Jere Lehtinen have all scored more than 30 goals this season. That makes it fairly good season for Finns. That had me checking if there was a season in the 1980's when 5 Finns scored more than 30 goals. There wasn't.

Petri Skriko scored 38, 33, 30 and 30 goal seasons in 80's. Ilkka Sinisalo scored 36 and 38. Esa Tikkanen had 34, 31 and 30. Mikko Mäkelä, one fo the most talented Finnish players had only one great season when he scored 36. And of course Jari Kurri used to score a plenty. But they did not score 30 goals in same season.

Sami Kapanen never had 30 goals, and I bet he won't score that much. Christian Ruuttu scored 26, but did not hit 30 goal mark. Defenceman Reijo Ruotsalainen once had 28 goals with Rangers, but he used to play wing that year too. That really makes Skriko's, Sinisalo's and Mäkelä's efforts more amazing. Hockey boom in Finland really started later, but we have not matched those great seasons of 80's still. We had great forwards, wonderful d-men (Siltanen, Ruotsalainen, Levo, Rautakallio) but no goalies.

In 1980's there was not that much NHL coverage in Finland so generally people don't understand how good Skriko, Sinisalo and Mäkelä were. There are more stories about Kurri, Tikkanen and Ruotsalainen, because they won Stanley Cups, and back in the day that was only thing about NHL Finnish journalists understood.

Do you guys have any memories of these three players? Of course I'd love to hear what did you think about Tapio Levo, Pekka Rautakallio, Hannu Virta and Timo Blomqvist etc., but let's start with these players.

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[John Flyers Fan]

Sinisalo was a key member of the Flyers teams of the mid 80's (IMO the best to never win a Cup). Talented all-around player with an excellent shot.

Biggest problem was staying healthy. Had the ability to be a 40-45 goal scorer if he could have stayed healthy, and ever played with a playmaking center.

 

[CBJ goalie]

Big Petri Skriko fan here - he was one of the few bright spots for the Canucks in the mid to late 80's.
He put up consistent numbers, always gave 100% on a less-than-successful team.
The play I will always remember him for was when he got robbed by the toe of Mike Vernon in the '89 playoffs - that puck goes in, and history is changed (I mean, Calgary wouldn't have been Stanley cup champs).

 

[mooseOAK*]

I still remember Howie Meeker calling him Petro Skriki. Good, largely over looked player.

 

[brianscot]

I always liked Sinisalo's game. He always seemed overlooked by the media during his Philly time, then again, he played during the Tocchet/Kerr era and there is just so much ink to go around.

Hannu Virta was very slick on the point for Buffalo and combined well with a young Phil Housley. I was surprised when he went back to Finland so early, does anyone remember if he was injured or just decided to go home?

 

[The Nemesis]

I remember when I was little and Petri Skriko was my favorite player just because he had a cool name. It's nice to look back now and know that he was also a very solid and very underappreciated player.

 

[arrbez]

I still remember Howie Meeker calling him Petro Skriki. Good, largely over looked player.

I remember getting his hockey card as a little kid (probably around 1989), and I thought he had the coolest name in the world.

Zarley Zalapski took care of that though...

 

[Hedberg]

I remember getting his hockey card as a little kid (probably around 1989), and I thought he had the coolest name in the world.

Zarley Zalapski took care of that though...

He did have an awesome name. Best name in Canuck history!

 

[Pekka Lampinen]

Hannu Virta was very slick on the point for Buffalo and combined well with a young Phil Housley. I was surprised when he went back to Finland so early, does anyone remember if he was injured or just decided to go home?

Virta returned to Finland to get his military service over with, but after that he just decided not to go back and to play in SM-liiga instead. In the 80's NHL salaries weren't so attractive and not everybody was dreaming of a career in the NHL.

Virta would've had a great NHL career, I'd have him on my all-time Finnish squad.

 

[#66]

Mikko Mäkelä has actually scored one of the nicest goals I've ever seen. He carried the puck in on the goalie, faked deking across the net which drew the goalie over to one side and then just let the puck slide into an open net. I'm not sure that it was that skilled a play but the goalie bit on the move big time.

 

[trenton1]

IIRC, both Makela and Skriko finished up their NHL careers with short stints in Boston.

Both had lost most of their zip and scoring touch by that time but my lasting memory of Skriko in Boston was during a line brawl. Some bigger guy grabbed Skriko thinking he had it made and Petri pounded the guy.

 

[Perkele]

I recall Sinisalo having some major surgery on his wrist that brought down his game in the last years. Couldnt shoot or handle the stick that well anymore. I also remember Sinisalo scoring his first NHL goal on a penalty shot. I think there were only two NHLers that had scored theyre first goal on a penalty shot. Anyone remember who the other one was? I guess after this season there are more.

 

[Russian_fanatic]

Skikro would absolutely one of my most favourite canucks EVER. If he had reached the NHL sooner, he would have been a 90-100 point guy IMO. He was immensley talented.