THN Archive: Finns On The Move

The Hockey News has released its archive to all THN subscribers: 76 years of history, stories, and features.

Subscribe now to view the full THN Archives here

Also, go to thn.com/free to subscribe.

Finns On The Move—May 6, 2016 - Risto Pakarinen

OVER THE HOLIDAY SEASON, all of Finland caught World Junior Championship fever. It was understandable. The tournament was held right in the capital, Helsinki, and the home side captured gold in a thrilling overtime victory over the Russians for a second WJC title in three years.

The two players front and center for Suomi fans were Patrik Laine and Jesse Puljujarvi—2016 draft-eligible phenoms, good friends, and roommates at the world juniors. After the WJC ended, however, they went back to being opponents in the Finnish League, eventually facing off in a post-season matchup between Laine’s Tappara and Puljujarvi’s Karpat. Laine, who scored six goals in the series, stole the headlines in the seven-game showdown. He tied Game 5 with 52 seconds remaining and Game 6 with just one second on the clock. Not to be outdone, Puljujarvi, who had five assists in the series, scored the Game 4 winner 24 seconds into double overtime.

In the end, Laine got the best of Puljujarvi, as Tappara ended up winning Game 7 and, 10 days later, the Finnish championship in a six-game series against Helsinki IFK. Laine, who turned 18 a week before the last game of the final, had 10 goals and 15 points in 18 playoff games to win the Jari Kurri Trophy as postseason MVP.

Puljujarvi, meanwhile, won his second gold medal of the season, as he led Finland to victory at the under-18s in Grand Forks, N.D., with seven points in four games.

It’s been a season to remember for both, who have exceeded even their expectations. “I certainly didn’t imagine all this,” Laine said. “Just to play regularly for Tappara was big.”

Added Puljujarvi: “My goal was to win a spot in the Karpat lineup. There were some tougher periods, but I developed my game throughout the season.”

Laine and Puljujarvi, already stars in their homeland, are NHL stars in the making. But their paths to the best league in the world haven’t been smooth. They have made bold decisions to make the most of their talents and take advantage of their opportunities. “Both are driven to work,” said Jukka Jalonen, Finland’s coach at the world juniors. “Jesse is really focused on getting physically better, while ‘Pate’s’ focus is more on things that take place on the ice.”

Puljujarvi was just 13 when he moved away from home in Tornio to Oulu to join Karpat 80 miles south, while Laine dropped out of school right after Grade 9 when compulsory school attendance ends in Finland. “He’s a smart kid and would probably have done well in senior high school, too,” Jalonen said. “He just wanted to focus 100 percent on hockey.”

There have been growing pains since, especially for Laine. Two years ago he was a problem child sent home from the Ivan Hlinka tournament after flipping the bird to his coach Mika Marttila and threatening his life. Now Laine is a mature adult who now gets to vote and drive a car. “(The incident) wasn’t good or fun,” Laine said. “But I learned from it, and maybe it made me a little stronger.”

Away from the rink, Laine and Puljujarvi have gotten a lot of attention in Finland recently for their exploits on the road as well as on the ice. Puljujarvi has often been seen riding a green, one-speed women’s bike around Oulu, usually with his skates in the basket in front of him, on his way to play some shinny hockey—or to his English class. At the world juniors, he found himself the center of attention for different reasons after speaking with the Swedish tabloid Expressen. During the two-minute interview, with the team manager translating, Puljujarvi spoke a few words in English and the rest in Finnish, sometimes beginning a sentence in English but often finishing it in Finnish. A video of the interview went viral and has been viewed over a million times. A few weeks later, a Finnish language school became his personal sponsor and released a video in which Puljujarvi answered questions in English. “I knew that I had to get better at it, and it’s been fun to learn,” he said. “My English still isn’t great. I’ve got ways to go.”

Laine, meanwhile, spent much of his free time recently behind the wheel of a car, getting his license so he could drive a real car instead of a moped. The Finnish public broadcasting company YLE even covered Laine’s final driving lesson, which he passed. “The media attention has been a little surprising,” Laine said. “Now they want to know everything, but it’s been fun, too. And when it got to be too much, I just said no.”

If there were any concerns about Laine and Puljujarvi before the world juniors, the pair put them permanently to rest. Laine tied for the WJC lead in goals with seven, while Puljujarvi led all players with 17 points on his way to being named MVP. The tournament also gave them both a boost in the second half of the Finnish League season. Puljujarvi had 16 goals in 19 games after putting up just 13 points in the 31 games before it. Laine had 17 points in 22 games and 16 in 24 before the tournament.

With Finland’s best players often leaving for the NHL and KHL, teenagers like Laine and Puljujarvi have been able to develop quickly by playing big minutes in Finland’s top league. Projected to go second and third overall, they’ve proven goalies aren’t the only thing Finland should be known for. “I know I’ve done my best,” Laine said. “We’ll see what that means in the draft.”