Selänne boys

[Password]

Don't be too sure that they choose to play for Finland (if they ever become good enough). Barkov's both parents are russian but he choose Finland. Which is maybe a bit strange IMO, but i love seeing Barkov in Leijonat

[Granlund2Pulkkinen*]

Eemil is playing California HS hockey... He needs to get his but up to Shattuck soon or into the NAHL soon if he wants to be taken seriously.

[World Is Not Phaneuf]

Originally Posted by Password

Which is maybe a bit strange IMO, but i love seeing Barkov in Leijonat

Strange... how? Barkov was born here and has lived his whole life in Finland. You would think that representing Finland at international level, was a very natural choice for him.

[Aurelia]

I'm thinking perhaps the difference between Barkov and the Selänne kids might be that in the US, almost everyone is from "everywhere else". People tend to hold on to their original language and culture a bit more, I reckon. In Finland, the inhabitants are mostly Finnish, and perhaps there is more pressure to fit in. Especially since it's not very cool to be a Russian teenager at a Finnish junior high...

Don't know though, everyone is unique of course, and one's identity is a tricky thing. Hockey creates a shared experience for the players and spectators, allowing them to feel united, creating a national identity so deeply connected with sports. If Alexandr Jr grew up cheering for Leijonat with his friends rather than for Team Russia, which is likely, he might not have given one single thought to playing for the latter, no matter who his father is. Similarly, I have a hard time imagining the Selänne kids wearing USA jerseys at a USA-Finland match... In fact I pray that's not the case !

[Mara]

Originally Posted by Aurelia

I'm thinking perhaps the difference between Barkov and the Selänne kids might be that in the US, almost everyone is from "everywhere else". People tend to hold on to their original language and culture a bit more, I reckon. In Finland, the inhabitants are mostly Finnish, and perhaps there is more pressure to fit in. Especially since it's not very cool to be a Russian teenager at a Finnish junior high...

Don't know though, everyone is unique of course, and one's identity is a tricky thing. Hockey creates a shared experience for the players and spectators, allowing them to feel united, creating a national identity so deeply connected with sports. If Alexandr Jr grew up cheering for Leijonat with his friends rather than for Team Russia, which is likely, he might not have given one single thought to playing for the latter, no matter who his father is. Similarly, I have a hard time imagining the Selänne kids wearing USA jerseys at a USA-Finland match... In fact I pray that's not the case !

I had this one Russian kid in my class in junior high. He was extremely proud about being Russian and beat up the other kids all the time. He didn't have many friends. Of course much later me and my friends from those years were talking about him, heavily intoxicated of course(Finnish men are not soft if they're not drunk, if they're drunk they can cry like babies), and we realized that he had serious issues about fitting in to Finnish society as a Russian kid. Ever since that night I've seen Russians in a different light.

[ElHefe]

I wish Sasha Barkov have not and will not face any racism here in Finland. Of course there are always those childish people who want to tease someone for being different and having different kind of origins, for example russian in this case.

For me anyone who has a finnish citizenship has the right to be seen as a finnish person if he/she wants to. Barkov seems to be everything good that represents someone coming from Finland. He seems relaxed, smart, tolerant, he even looks a bit like finnish eventhough geneticly he is pure russian. Last but not least he speaks fluent finnish and he sees himself as a finn. The only thing that makes him different basically is his name.

I really hope Barkov will have a long and succesfull carreer ahead of him in the NHL and finnish national team!

[Mara]

Originally Posted by ElHefe

I wish Sasha Barkov have not and will not face any racism here in Finland. Of course there are always those childish people who want to tease someone for being different and having different kind of origins, for example russian in this case.

For me anyone who has a finnish citizenship has the right to be seen as a finnish person if he/she wants to. Barkov seems to be everything good that represents someone coming from Finland. He seems relaxed, smart, tolerant, he even looks a bit like finnish eventhough geneticly he is pure russian. Last but not least he speaks fluent finnish and he sees himself as a finn. The only thing that makes him different basically is his name.

I really hope Barkov will have a long and succesfull carreer ahead of him in the NHL and finnish national team!

I doubt it's an issue as long as he managed to get through childhood without emotional scars. And hockey is a good tool to do that.

[FiLe]

Originally Posted by Mara

And hockey is a good tool to do that.

I think it's pretty safe to say that if he goes in top-10, he'll be "our Sasha", as Finnish as one can be.