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Olympics: Team Finland 2022

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FiLe said:
Now that the Swedish team has been announced, it's interesting to do a comparison to them, given we're in the same group and all.

Finland/Sweden
KHL: 18/8
NLA: 5/7
SHL: 0/10
Liiga: 2/0

I must say, it feels quite strange to enter a major tournament with a roster that is better on paper than Sweden's. Well, or any other participant's save likely Russia. Of course, it's not a guarantee of anything - I certainly don't expect that Finland will just leave Sweden biting dust.
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Being a favorite isn't too helpful in these kind of games with these kind of rosters. Sweden is fully capable of taking the gold as well indeed. I would say that Sweden beats Finland in that game that they will play but Finland will be in the finals with Russia unless Finland and Russia meet before the finals.

So I expect some coin flips to happen in terms of who wins between some of the top countries, especially between the EHT nations, so the Czechs included. Finland's biggest strength that separate us from The Czechs, Russia and Sweden is our coaching advantage in my opinion. There's no question that everyone in the Finnish locker room respects Jukka Jalonen and his coaching team and there's no question that Jukka Jalonen's system works against the top countries. Can't say the same about our former NT coach, Lauri Marjamäki who didn't have that kind of aura and leadership as the NT coach.

So to summarize it, I feel like all the EHT nations (Czech, Russia, Finland, Sweden) are the favorites of the tournament and they form "Tier 1" despite of the way that last Olympic tournament went with Canada and Germany doing better than I expected. Tier 2 for me is Canada, USA, Switzerland and Germany. If any one of the teams that I call "Tier 2" beat any of the "Tier 1"/EHT nations in the playoffs or in some kind of game of death scenario, I feel like that would be an upset.
 
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FiLe said:
We don't know what exactly Jalonen is referring to here. Does he mean the 25 players he gave the final invite? Or some broader group he picked the final 25 from? In either case, I seriously doubt that Jalonen just overlooked Lepistö - him not being on this team or even the two EHT teams must be because Leppä himself indicated at some point that he won't be available.
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I think so too and I could see that commander Jalonen would defend his old soldier if Lepistö decided to retire silently from the NT, as in not bring that information out about the retiremerent of Lepistö's NT career if Lepistö doesn't want that info out in public.

Some players wouldn't want to be seen as some kind of traitors by having that information out about declining an invite. Lepistö has done more than enough for the Finnish NT and if he doesn't have motivation anymore to do more games for Finland then he doesn't have to do that anymore in my opinion.
 
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FiLe said:
We don't know what exactly Jalonen is referring to here. Does he mean the 25 players he gave the final invite? Or some broader group he picked the final 25 from? In either case, I seriously doubt that Jalonen just overlooked Lepistö - him not being on this team or even the two EHT teams must be because Leppä himself indicated at some point that he won't be available.
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Im quite sure Jalonen refers to the 25 players he invited, they must have been first choices. Why else would he be talking about 100% acceptance. But in the article Lehtinen says that there is a replacement for everyone, if somebody gets sick. So i guess there is 25 back up players who have also said yes.

Lepistö haven't played in NT in 4 years. Just like Kemppainen and Komarov, but both of them came to play EHT games in Helsinki and Moscow. Hietanen played his last tournament 4 years ago, but he has played in EHT every season after Jalonen came back. Friman was selected to play in Channel one cup but was forced to stay in the sidelines, but he has played EHT games since 18-19 season. Tuohimaa is only player in this team who haven't played in EHT during this or last season. Tuohimaa played 4 games in 19-20 season, quite impressive stats .921% and im pretty sure Jalonen would have selected him to play in 2020 WHC tournament.

I don't even see Lepistö being an option to this team. If Lepistö has retired from NT or he's not just available(busy family life or something) it's fine, but it's unlikely that he was asked to be in this team or that he declined from the invitation.
 
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SantosHalper said:
I don't even see Lepistö being an option to this team. If Lepistö has retired from NT or he's not just available(busy family life or something) it's fine, but it's unlikely that he was asked to be in this team or that he declined from the invitation.
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Looks like we've hit a bit of a semantical hurdle here.

When a player isn't involved with the team or its selection process in any manner out of his own accord, that can be described as "declination" - no matter whether he told the coach that two weeks, two months or two years ago. We had a fan of the club Lepistö is playing for wondering why he isn't in the team, and I told them it must be because Lepistö himself made it clear at some point in that he isn't available. (As in, declined.) You seem to think that when I said "declined", I meant that Jalonen called him recently and extended him an invite, but the player said no.

If someone was to ask Lepistö why he isn't on this team, I'm 100% certain that his answer wouldn't be, "Well, I was interested but the coach didn't even call me." And any answer other than that can be described as "declination". However, when Jalonen says, "There was no declinations," he probably means there was no negative answers from the players involved in the final selection process, which didn't involve Lepistö, because he had refused the honor (or, "declined") sometime earlier - no matter how long ago.
 
FiLe said:
Looks like we've hit a bit of a semantical hurdle here.

When a player isn't involved with the team or its selection process in any manner out of his own accord, that can be described as "declination" - no matter whether he told the coach that two weeks, two months or two years ago. We had a fan of the club Lepistö is playing for wondering why he isn't in the team, and I told them it must be because Lepistö himself made it clear at some point in that he isn't available. (As in, declined.) You seem to think that when I said "declined", I meant that Jalonen called him recently and extended him an invite, but the player said no.

If someone was to ask Lepistö why he isn't on this team, I'm 100% certain that his answer wouldn't be, "Well, I was interested but the coach didn't even call me." And any answer other than that can be described as "declination". However, when Jalonen says, "There was no declinations," he probably means there was no negative answers from the players involved in the final selection process, which didn't involve Lepistö, because he had refused the honor (or, "declined") sometime earlier - no matter how long ago.
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Ok, then things got lost in a translation so to speak. But i just find the word "decline" bit odd in this situation. I also had a discussion with a swedish fan about the same subject, i said "no NT games in 4 years, Lepistö is not an option". Doesn't really matter what Lepistö has or has not said, imo.
 
Mestaruus said:
Being a favorite isn't too helpful in these kind of games with these kind of rosters. Sweden is fully capable of taking the gold as well indeed. I would say that Sweden beats Finland in that game that they will play but Finland will be in the finals with Russia unless Finland and Russia meet before the finals.

So I expect some coin flips to happen in terms of who wins between some of the top countries, especially between the EHT nations, so the Czechs included. Finland's biggest strength that separate us from The Czechs, Russia and Sweden is our coaching advantage in my opinion. There's no question that everyone in the Finnish locker room respects Jukka Jalonen and his coaching team and there's no question that Jukka Jalonen's system works against the top countries. Can't say the same about our former NT coach, Lauri Marjamäki who didn't have that kind of aura and leadership as the NT coach.

So to summarize it, I feel like all the EHT nations (Czech, Russia, Finland, Sweden) are the favorites of the tournament and they form "Tier 1" despite of the way that last Olympic tournament went with Canada and Germany doing better than I expected. Tier 2 for me is Canada, USA, Switzerland and Germany. If any one of the teams that I call "Tier 2" beat any of the "Tier 1"/EHT nations in the playoffs or in some kind of game of death scenario, I feel like that would be an upset.
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Sweden is complicated. Garpenlöv did not pick the best players. He picked a hard working gritty team. So on paper we are not top 5. But we might be it on the ice.
 
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SantosHalper said:
Im quite sure Jalonen refers to the 25 players he invited, they must have been first choices. Why else would he be talking about 100% acceptance. But in the article Lehtinen says that there is a replacement for everyone, if somebody gets sick. So i guess there is 25 back up players who have also said yes.

Lepistö haven't played in NT in 4 years. Just like Kemppainen and Komarov, but both of them came to play EHT games in Helsinki and Moscow. Hietanen played his last tournament 4 years ago, but he has played in EHT every season after Jalonen came back. Friman was selected to play in Channel one cup but was forced to stay in the sidelines, but he has played EHT games since 18-19 season. Tuohimaa is only player in this team who haven't played in EHT during this or last season. Tuohimaa played 4 games in 19-20 season, quite impressive stats .921% and im pretty sure Jalonen would have selected him to play in 2020 WHC tournament.

I don't even see Lepistö being an option to this Finland team. If Lepistö has retired from NT or he's not just available (busy family life or something) it's fine, but it's unlikely that he was asked to be in this team or that he declined from the invitation.
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Me neither; Lepistö seems to be that ol' Finland warhorse that help teams like Luleå to surrender. Too late the hero for him in the Finland squad thou' - his evil Luleå-compadre Julius Honka I would've take in a heartbeat if asked.
 
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Eye of Ra said:
Sweden is complicated. Garpenlöv did not pick the best players. He picked a hard working gritty team. So on paper we are not top 5. But we might be it on the ice.
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You - Sweden - have a chap from Oskarshamn (!) in your Olympic squad Sweden ... sweet bloody Yesus.
 
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Husqvarna said:
Oskarshamn ... rules:huh::laugh::thumbd:the Olympics. Blä!
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It's pretty stupid and superficial, judging players by club affiliation. It never happened that a player from a weaker team in NT shone and helped win the trophy, didn't he?

If Garpenlöv or Pesan find the exact role for the players from Oskarshamn and he pays them confidence in the performance, who will care that he does not play in Lulea but in Oskarshamn?
 
Elias40 said:
It's pretty stupid and superficial, judging players by club affiliation. It never happened that a player from a weaker team in NT shone and helped win the trophy, didn't he?

If Garpenlöv or Pesan find the exact role for the players from Oskarshamn and he pays them confidence in the performance, who will care that he does not play in Lulea but in Oskarshamn?
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Cut he crap - if you play in a club like Oskarshamns IK then you have nothin' to do in a Olympic squad - no matter what.
 
Husqvarna said:
Cut he crap - if you play in a club like Oskarshamns IK then you have nothin' to do in a Olympic squad - no matter what.
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Why does it matter what club you play for. If you're good enough for the NT, then you play. Utter nonsense.
 
Oi, boy ... you in Canada only say that you (only) count best on best tournaments.

Only.

This is the next best thing; Olympics - and not in my world players from Oskarhams IK - will be there. Have you been there?! - I've been there when my son played hockey. That is.

A rather nice place on the east coast of Sweden Oskarshamn - but not exactly a hockey nest remember; coz my sons team - HC Dalen - from the outskirts of Jönköping beat them youngsters from Oskarshamn and that bad.
 
Husqvarna said:
Oi, boy ... you in Canada only say that you (only) count best on best tournaments.

Only.

This is the next best thing; Olympics - and not in my world players from Oskarhams IK - will be there. Have you been there?! - I've been there when my son played hockey. That is.

A rather nice place on the east coast of Sweden Oskarshamn - but not exactly a hockey nest remember; coz my sons team - HC Dalen - from the outskirts of Jönköping beat them youngsters from Oskarshamn and that bad.
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I don't care if you or your son have been there. If you're good enough to play for your national team at any level, then it really doesn't matter what club you play for now does it?

By that logic, players like Lehkonen, Puljujarvi, Laine, Jokiharju and others should absolutely NEVER play for Finland, since their club teams are utter shite :huh:
 
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... and you are Finland good next to God?!

In hockey.

You think:huh::laugh:.

Do tell the rest o' the hockey world that - what you've have to say in a proper way. That is.
 
I've seen more hockey live and on TV that you even can dream nightmares of (Finland).

That's the brutal truth.
 
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