The NHL column: Barkov and Laine form the Lions’ radar pair? Hope the focus is kept on the essentials when the NHL stars make their pilgrimage to the WC

The hope of a best possible Lions team in a real top tournament seems more and more distant. However, Lejon fans can look forward to a long line of Finnish and international NHL stars in the World Cup. An opportunity and a risk.

Can all NHL players who want to join the Lions’ WC team be accommodated? In two months, the World Cup will be in full swing and then it is high time for the NHL podcast’s talking machines to speculate about who is in the elite squad and how it will be done.

Friday 12 May 2023 at 4:43 p.m., the opening game of the World Cup between Finland and the USA in a sold-out Tampere Arena (in addition, 1.5–2 million other Finns are riveted in front of screens):

Lejonen får sin första Chans att spela powerplay. Jukka Jalonen is accompanied by Aleksander Barkov, Patrik Laine, Anton Lundell, Eetu Luostarinen and Henri Jokiharju.

Despite a few really good chances, it won’t be a goal and the multi-talented golden retriever will go to Finland’s other PP women: Mikael Granlund, Kasperi Kapanen, Eeli Tolvanen, Rasmus Ristolainen and Juuso Välimäki.

Juuse Saros, guarding the Finnish goal in the opener, tries to stay poised as the power play rolls around the USA goal.

That’s what it might look like. At least if you believe that Florida, Pittsburgh, Seattle or Nashville do not reach the second round of the playoffs. And that the interest in the home World Cup among the Finnish NHL players is as great as Jalonen assured after his just ended NHL tour.

The players mentioned below are scarce in places in the WC and ska man reserve ärlig, är trojänare som Mikko Lehtonen, Teemu Hartikainen, Markus Granlund and Harri Pesonen skvära att skuffa ut ur powerplayfemmor designed by Jukka Jalonen.

The point is, however, that Finland will have perhaps the most famous World Cup team of all time. Although some big names are absent – as is always the case due to, for example, injuries – there may even be a rush from the world’s best league to the Lions’ dressing room.

When the tournament starts, in addition to the teams that do not reach the playoffs, half of the playoff teams have already been eliminated, as the first round has been played. This means that unexpected names can suddenly either become available or disappear from the “lion’s menu”

Defending the gold makes the WC pulse go through the roof

Regardless of which players are finally free and do not have injury or other obstacles, the interest in digging for gold with “Kulta-Jukka” in front of the home crowd should reach record heights.

It will be really interesting to follow how Jalonen reasons in election situations where a “stalwart” from a European team is pitted against an NHL player who may be a blank page in the Lions jersey.

How do you motivate Olympic gold medalists and world champion forwards, accustomed to big minutes and power play responsibilities, to join supporting roles?

For example, it is quite possible that Jalonen can fill all three goalkeeper positions and at least half of the back squad with old men who compete against the world’s best opponents at the workplace in every game.

If you look at how Jalonen has thought and acted so far during his career, players who appear several times a week on the teletext page 235 may be disappointed.

Or it will be like in the home World Cup 2003.

Too much of the good stuff?

In the spring of 2003, the hockey World Cup was played in Finland and the Lions were led by Hannu Aravirta who coached Finland to three silver medals, a World Cup bronze and Olympic bronze starting in 1998.

In the only WC tournament in which Aravirta went without a medal, Finland lost the bronze medal match. Then after the Lions completely outclassed Russia in the semi-finals on the ice, but suffered from a goal drought and went out on penalties.

A year later, there would be revenge on home soil with WC gold number two. And it would be brought home by the all-time blue-and-white star team at World Cup level.

The evening papers followed in the spring with daily which of our heroes were released from NHL play and burned to show off for the home crowd.

The list was both long and impressive: Teemu Selänne, Saku Koivu, Olli Jokinen, Niklas Hagman, Kimmo Timonen, Ossi Väänänen, Toni Lydman, Aki Berg, Janne Niinimaa, Mikko Eloranta and even with Finland’s NHL goaltaker, Pasi Nurminen and Jani Hurme.

In addition, the biggest stars from European clubs were: Ville Peltonen, Petteri Nummelin, Kimmo Rintanen and the point king from WC 2001, Juha Ylönen.

The gold has never been so clear in advance as it was exactly 20 years ago. The night before the seriousness began, the star team was introduced on a stage in the Helsinki Arena in civilian clothes, player by player – in the same style as after a gold.

The atmosphere was almost hysterical. Anyone who follows ice hockey knows how it went:

there was totally too much focus on the individuals and the WC party and both the players and the coach Hannu Aravirta lost their grip on the events.

Despite the fact that 20 years have passed and neither Jukka Jalonen nor today’s Finnish players lose their grip in the first place, there is reason to raise a warning finger before a new home tournament with a new “all-time World Cup team”: All Star squads are very vulnerable constructions.

The most important thing is not to let the show around the home World Cup take over. The more of the nation’s biggest idols that are in the Lions, the more is required of the management team. And of course by the stars themselves. Media, fans, friends and relatives must be kept at a polite distance.

Would still be surprised if today’s hockey idols and leaders are not prepared and know how to avoid the pitfalls that Aravirta, Selänne and the others fell into 20 years ago.

Last year it worked perfectly – but the difference in the uproar is probably huge this time if the Lions become an NHL national team with Laine and Barkov as guiding stars.

The competitors also come with top teams

The biggest risk to a blue-white success in the home World Cup is still the opponents. Although there are signs that the hype around Laine & consortes is rising to such a level that it can seem as if the Lions’ worst opponent is in the mirror, the truth is probably different.

The combination of the fact that the first round of the playoffs is already completed when the World Cup starts and the total lack of real top tournaments makes a spring World Cup in two hockey-crazy nations very attractive also for NHL players who are not from Finland (or Latvia).

Canada always brings a team that is second to none when it comes to the quality of players. This year could be the best Maple Leafs match in many years. For example, what would a first string with Sidney Crosby, Mitch Marner and Jonathan Huberdeau sound like?

And so it is necessary to raise a really big warning finger for Tre Kronor.

After a few miserable years in the WC and Olympics, Sweden will be really hungry for revenge. Now blue yellow also has a coach who lives up to the level proud Tre Kronor is worth. Sam Hallam was successful with Växjö Lakers and is a modern coach with clear visions.

The atmosphere among the Swedish players – even those in the NHL – is good regarding Hallam. He is seen as a winner type, who does not stick under the chair, for example, with his opinion that Sweden has better players than Finland.

In addition, Hallam’s premier season is going like a train: Tre Kronor has won all three Euro Hockey Tour tournaments and done so with a game that both looks good and produces results.

Dare to guess that Hallam and WC 2023 will get the thumbs up from the Swedish stars – and then Tre Kronor probably matches the Finnish dream team on most, if not all points.

The center crew can for example consist of Elias Pettersson, Elias Lindholm, Mikael Backlund and Joel Eriksson-Ek. Erik Karlsson, Rasmus Dahlin, Gustaf Forsling and Rasmus Andersson can fill the first two back pairs and Jacob Markström or the Minnesota sensation Filip Gustavsson can take care of the first spade.

The most important point is that, at the time of writing, 60 Swedes have played at least 40 NHL games during the current season. The level and breadth of our western neighbor is very impressive. Hallam could probably field two World Cup-ready teams with NHL players.

Almost so that one is tempted to guess something as clichéd as an “all-time WC”.

Thank you for reading.

Sources: nhl.com, hockeydb.com, hockeysverige.se, iihf.com