The first ice session of the week included youth goalies from around the area, country and the world. Even a few North American goaltenders, including a Colorado goaltender. With most of them being Finnish I was slightly intimidated because they were so young but also an incredibly talented group. What I was most impressed with was how they carried themselves on the ice, eager to watch the other goalies and learn, instead of shooting pucks against the boards or gossiping with their goalie friends. During drills I was kind of hesitant to jump in often and correct because I was worried about there being a language barrier. But the more and more I interacted with the kids the more they opened up and I soon learned that many of them had proficient English language skills. I could communicate with them so that was a great first step. Next I had to test whether they could understand my Michigan dialect, which some of them had troubles with. Certain words and phrases they struggled understanding, but when it came to talking about hockey they understood. What I have come to find during the day and a half that I have spent here in Finland is that hockey is a universal language. Hockey players can relate to each other whether they are American, Finnish, Canadian, Russian, etc. because we all share one common trait: we love the game.
The second group I had the pleasure of working with was the pro group. Again a group of younger, fresh faced pro or NCAA level goaltenders who are hungry to prove themselves: Atte Tolvanen (Northern Michigan Univ.), Rasmus Tirronen (Carolina Hurricanes), Kasimir Kaskisuo (Toronto Maple Leafs), Niklas Bäckström (Calgary Flames), Patrik Virtanen (Lincoln Stars). What I love about these crop of goalies is their use of hands, it is often cliche in the goaltending world that Finns have the best hand work within their game but it is so true. They also treat their game very professionally and I've noticed their demeanor in net is calm, cool and collective.
After the camp ended I decided to go explore the city more. I stumbled upon a 4 story mall that was unlike any mall I've visited in the states. In the U.S. we have what we refer to as "food courts", here in Helsinki they had a strip of stores that were all different plants and trees for sale. What else I have noticed during my strolls around the city is that I struggle to find fast food spots to grab a quick bite at. Back home it is common that you can find two or three of the same fast food restaurant in one city, but here that is not the case. The Mcdonalds and Burger King I hunted for were right in the middle of the shopping district, and that is all I could locate in that style of restaurant. That defines their culture and it is a major difference in lifestyle compared to my native country, again I believe this can be a credit to their success of goaltending development...health and fitness go hand in hand.
The second group I had the pleasure of working with was the pro group. Again a group of younger, fresh faced pro or NCAA level goaltenders who are hungry to prove themselves: Atte Tolvanen (Northern Michigan Univ.), Rasmus Tirronen (Carolina Hurricanes), Kasimir Kaskisuo (Toronto Maple Leafs), Niklas Bäckström (Calgary Flames), Patrik Virtanen (Lincoln Stars). What I love about these crop of goalies is their use of hands, it is often cliche in the goaltending world that Finns have the best hand work within their game but it is so true. They also treat their game very professionally and I've noticed their demeanor in net is calm, cool and collective.
After the camp ended I decided to go explore the city more. I stumbled upon a 4 story mall that was unlike any mall I've visited in the states. In the U.S. we have what we refer to as "food courts", here in Helsinki they had a strip of stores that were all different plants and trees for sale. What else I have noticed during my strolls around the city is that I struggle to find fast food spots to grab a quick bite at. Back home it is common that you can find two or three of the same fast food restaurant in one city, but here that is not the case. The Mcdonalds and Burger King I hunted for were right in the middle of the shopping district, and that is all I could locate in that style of restaurant. That defines their culture and it is a major difference in lifestyle compared to my native country, again I believe this can be a credit to their success of goaltending development...health and fitness go hand in hand.