[FIN] Four Team Finland From Europe

Ok, you are right. I did stole this idea from ZeroTheHero, who stole the idea from the swedes. But I did change the original swede idea, to look team Finaland`s depth in Europe not in NA. Weee ;)

There is four teams. Two from Sm-liiga, one from Sweden and one from rest of Europe. I picked mostly best players I could find, but because there is so many equal good players always someone can`t make it to the team. Also some players in fourth/third lines can be role players, not best point scores. The team player played last season order in what team he will belong. For example kari Martikainen played last season in Switzerland so he is team Europe not in team Finland even if he plays in Finland next season. About team Europe, i coulnd`t find goalies, but I am pretty sure there is some other Finn goalies in Europe than just Sulander. Also in team Europe there could be some better players than there is now. I just didn`t care to find all the Finns who play in Europe. Players in team Europe are from Switzerland and France.


Team: North Finland (HPK, Kärpät, Ilves, Tappara, Jyp, Lukko, Pelicans)

Jussi Jokinen- Jari Viuhkola-Janne Pesonen
Markku Tähtinen-Jarkko Immonen-Vesa Viitakoski
Tony Virta-Sakari Palsola-Tomi Dahlman
Janne Laakkonen-Arto Kuki-Sami Venäläinen

Janne Niskala-Ari Vallin
Marko Tuulola-Jari Korhonen
Erik Hämäläinen-Teemu Aalto
Tuomas Eskelinen-Ville Koistinen

Joni Puurula
Juha Pitkämäki
Niklas Bäckström



Team: South Finland (Jokerit, HIFK, TPS, Saipa, Blues, Ässät)

Mikko Eloranta-Antti Aalto-Kai Nurminen
Timo Pärssinen-Mikko Koivu-Kimmo Kuhta
Marko Jantunen-Petri Pakaslahti-Marko Kivemäki
Ville Vahalahti-Olli Ahonen-Teemu Elomo


Toni Söderholm-Antti Hulkkonen
Peri Kokko-Jere Karalahti
Jarno Kultanen-Markus Kankaanperä
Pasi Peltonen-Sebastian Sulku

Teemu Lassila
Jarmo Myllys
Jan Lundel(?)



Team: Finns in Sweden

Jani Hassinen-Kalle Sahlstedt-Tomi Kallio
Miettinen Tommi-Tarvainen Jussi-Hannes Hyvönen
Mikko Peltola-Riihijärvi Juha-Pasi Määttänen
Lind Juha-Tirkkonen Pekka-Jääskeläinen Joonas

Kari Haakana-Välivaara Jyrki
Koskinen Kalle-Loponen Jouni
Niemi Antti-Jussi-Niskanen Mika
Kuparinen Mikko-Eronen Kimmo

Fredrik Norrena
Kimmo Kapanen
Wallinheimo Sinuhe


Team: Finns in Europe

Tero Lehterä-Ville Peltonen-Jukka Hentunen
Miika Rousu-Kimmo Rintanen- Mikko Peltola
Tero Forsell-Jarno Peltonen-Juha Jokiharju
Kimmo Salminen-Juho Jokinen-Sami Karjalainen


Petteri Nummelin-Kari Martikainen
Lassi Laakso-Tommi Hämäläinen
Timo Kulonen-Veli-Pekka Hård
Miika Ruokonen-Jesse Saarinen

Ari Sulander

Team Finland (Sweden) would kick some serious butt! ;)
Not so good defense, but a great goalie in Norrena and many offensively gifted players.

This is however how my Team Finland (Sweden) would look like

2003/04
Mikko Peltola - Jussi Tarvainen - Tomi Kallio
Pasi Määttänen - Juha Riihijärvi - Hannes Hyvönen
Juha Lind - Jani Hassinen - Tommi Miettinen
Valeri Krykov - Jari Kauppila - Antti Törmänen

Tuukka Mäntylä - Antti-Jussi Niemi
Jouni Loponen - Jyrki Välivaara
Kalle Koskinen - Mika Lehtinen

Fredrik Norrena
Kimmo Kapanen
Jarmo Myllys


2004/05
Mikko Peltola - Jussi Tarvainen - Tomi Kallio
Pasi Määttänen - Kalle Sahlstedt - Hannes Hyvönen
Tommi Miettinen - Valeri Krykov - Vesa Viitakoski
Teemu Riihijärvi - Mikko Luovi - X

Antti-Jussi Niemi - Tuukka Mäntylä
Tom Koivisto - Kalle Koskinen
Jyrki Välivaara - Jouni Loponen

Fredrik Norrena
Kimmo Kapanen
Markus Korhonen

how about that, only 11 Finnish forwards signed with SEL teams
so far!
Great D on this team IMO.

About team Europe, i coulnd`t find goalies, but I am pretty sure there is some other Finn goalies in Europe than just Sulander.

Ilpo Kauhanen. He's the starter for the Hanover Scorpions in the DEL (Germany).


Team: North Finland (HPK, Kärpät, Ilves, Tappara, Jyp, Lukko, Pelicans)

Jussi Jokinen- Jari Viuhkola-Janne Pesonen
Markku Tähtinen-Jarkko Immonen-Vesa Viitakoski
Tony Virta-Sakari Palsola-Tomi Dahlman
Janne Laakkonen-Arto Kuki-Sami Venäläinen

Janne Niskala-Ari Vallin
Marko Tuulola-Jari Korhonen
Erik Hämäläinen-Teemu Aalto
Tuomas Eskelinen-Ville Koistinen

Joni Puurula
Juha Pitkämäki
Niklas Bäckström

Pitkämäki and PUURULA (!) before Lehto?!? :amazed:
Also, Pekka Saravo needs to be on D, he's better than arguably any of your dmen. Atleast he's way better than Aalto, Eskelinen, Tuulola (old man) and Koistinen.



Team: Finns in Sweden

Jani Hassinen-Kalle Sahlstedt-Tomi Kallio
Miettinen Tommi-Tarvainen Jussi-Hannes Hyvönen
Mikko Peltola-Riihijärvi Juha-Pasi Määttänen
Lind Juha-Tirkkonen Pekka-Jääskeläinen Joonas

Kari Haakana-Välivaara Jyrki
Koskinen Kalle-Loponen Jouni
Niemi Antti-Jussi-Niskanen Mika
Kuparinen Mikko-Eronen Kimmo

Fredrik Norrena
Kimmo Kapanen
Wallinheimo Sinuhe


Krykov definitely deserves to be there. Tirkkonen is just a shadow of his old self. Plus, he was never as good as Krykov anyway. Mäntylä should be on the first pairing, Kuparinen out. I'd also replace Wallinheimo with either Myllys or Riksman. Still, it's a very good team.

Pitkämäki and PUURULA (!) before Lehto?!? :amazed:
Also, Pekka Saravo needs to be on D, he's better than arguably any of your dmen. Atleast he's way better than Aalto, Eskelinen, Tuulola (old man) and Koistinen.

Krykov definitely deserves to be there. Tirkkonen is just a shadow of his old self. Plus, he was never as good as Krykov anyway. Mäntylä should be on the first pairing, Kuparinen out. I'd also replace Wallinheimo with either Myllys or Riksman. Still, it's a very good team.

I made those teams pretty quikly so there is some choices which maybe aren`t the best.

N&V your right Lehto is better than Pitkämäki&Puurula. Also Saravo deserves to be on that team. There is just so many defenders that you can`t remember all off them. Also I am not very familiar with defenders in SM-liiga.

Krykov is better than Tirkkonen that`s right. When I made thosé teams I just think they would be like national teams. I didn`t consider Krykov as 100% Finn, cause I don`t know can he represent Finland (oh my am I becoming a r....). But I liked Krykov very much when he was playing oin Finland, he is great and intelligent player.

Mäntylä, I don`t know sure why I dropped him out. He is definately 1st pairing guy. Kuparinen was in the team, cause his physical play.

I didn`t choose Myllys to team "Sweden" cause he played most of the season in Finland. Same case was with Kauppila.

Also in team Europe there are players I have never heard of or saw them playing, especially in defense. In Norway there is at least Topi Lehtonen(D), Teemu Kohavakka(F), Hermanni Vidman(F) who would made to team Europe, before guys I first picked.

I didn`t consider Krykov as 100% Finn, cause I don`t know can he represent Finland (oh my am I becoming a r....).


That's an easy mistake to make, but he was actually born in Helsinki and has always been a Finnish citizen as far as I know.

It sucks that Krykov never got more games with Finland.. When he was young he was a good skater and had a good scoring touch and has nice size too...

If my memory serves me right, Krykov did actually get a couple of more games. I'm not sure about this though, but I think he played in one of the early Euro Hockey Tour tournaments some years back.

You're right about it the fact that he should've got more games with the national team. He would've been a very useful player in many of those world championship teams of the late nineties that were always short on quality two-way centers.