Team Finland All Time Team

[Eye of Ra]

Which current active players make their all time team? Heiskanen, Rantanen, Barkov, Granlund, Hintz and Aho i would say. Finland is that nation that have the most active players that would make their all time team.


Lehtinen - S Koivu - Selänne
Tikkanen - M Koivu - Kurri
Granlund - Barkov - Rantanen
Hintz - Aho - O Jokinen
Sinsalo, Skriko

Heiskanen - Numminen
Pitkanen - Ruotsalainen
Timonen - Siltanen
Lumme - Salo

Kiprusoff
Rinne
Rask

 

[Staniowski]

Yeah, Finland has been very strong in recent years so there'd be quite a few current players. This is a great generation of Finns.

Pekka Rautakallio, Matti Hagman maybe. They both had some talent.

What about Hannu Virta...anybody remember him?

 

[Eye of Ra]

Yeah, Finland has been very strong in recent years so there'd be quite a few current players. This is a great generation of Finns.

Pekka Rautakallio, Matti Hagman maybe. They both had some talent.

What about Hannu Virta...anybody remember him?

Was not Hagman the first finn in NHL? His son Niklas was a good player.

 

[Staniowski]

Was not Hagman the first finn in NHL? His son Niklas was a good player.

Yeah, I believe Hagman was the first player to grow up playing hockey in Finland to play in the NHL (but not the first player born in Finland).

Hagman played for Boston when Don Cherry was coach, he said Cherry gave him very little ice-time.

Those early guys, Hagman, Rautakallio, and Siltanen were good players in their era.

 

[Eye of Ra]

Yeah, I believe Hagman was the first player to grow up playing hockey in Finland to play in the NHL (but not the first player born in Finland).

Hagman played for Boston when Don Cherry was coach, he said Cherry gave him very little ice-time.

Those early guys, Hagman, Rautakallio, and Siltanen were good players in their era.

Not a shocker since Cherry hates Europeans

 

[Staniowski]

Not a shocker since Cherry hates Europeans

He blames Hardy Astrom if he catches a cold...

 

[Conspiracy Theorist]

M. Koivu should be fighting for a spot on the 4th line. Barkov centers Kurri and Tikkanen because no reason to break the first line.

 

[Eye of Ra]

M. Koivu should be fighting for a spot on the 4th line. Barkov centers Kurri and Tikkanen because no reason to break the first line.

Line 1 had amazing chemistry

So did Kalle knatte tjatte line

 

[vadim sharifijanov]

Which current active players make their all time team? Heiskanen, Rantanen, Barkov, Granlund, Hintz and Aho i would say. Finland is that nation that have the most active players that would make their all time team.

but man circa five or six years ago, it felt like finland could populate half their all time team with all young current guys

but laine fell off, kotkaniemi and kakko never developed, and so many guys busted: puljujarvi and juolevi busted

 

[Sanf]

What about Hannu Virta...anybody remember him?

I don´t remember him from Buffalo I was too young then. But what I have read he seemed to be very good on both ends of the ice. And he had just turned 19 when debuted and only 23 when he left. Came to do his military service. And couple of the last season had been riddled with injuries so that probably was one of the reasons why he decided to stay in Finland. Played big role on dynasty team in Finnish league. And when he wanted to return to NHL in 1991 there were good offers. But Sabres still did hold his rights. And they weren´t entirely happy how Virta had left the team.

He was still relevant when he returned to NT in mid 90´s and played underappreciated role in our success. Member of the first Finnish WHC winning team. Still would say he would slightly fell short on All-Time team, but underrated and sometimes even forgotten legend.

 

[Sanf]

but man circa five or six years ago, it felt like finland could populate half their all time team with all young current guys

but laine fell off, kotkaniemi and kakko never developed, and so many guys busted: puljujarvi and juolevi busted

Not really a history subject, but yeah I guess many even I expected bit more. Especially the defence. We hardly "qualified" for the four nations because we just barely could make defence out of NHL players. Sure some have had more than bad luck with injuries. But for example last Finnish defenceman outside of first round of draft to make NHL regular player is Niko Mikkola from 2015 draft.