Kari Piiroinen wants to play in North America in the future.
SaiPan goalkeeper Kari Piiroinen recalls the magnificent finals of last spring’s Finnish Champions League. It took KalPa and SaiPa, and the championship went to Kuopio.
What finally settled in the finals series?
– KalPa just got to press his own hustle and rely on his own individuals and teams. It’s hard to say one reason for the end result. There were two good teams facing each other. Both trusted their own system.
– They were tough games. It went right that KalPa won, 24-year-old Piiroinen admits directly.
New chance
According to Kari Piiroinen, KalPa eventually earned his championship last spring. Timo Kunnari
SaiPa will start the season with a budget of EUR 2 million again. The amount is one of the three smallest in the league.
Sputniks may not be one of the pre -favorites, but the team again has the opportunity to bite their bigger ankles.
Raimo Helminen will continue as head coach of the team.
– Perhaps the most important thing we learned from last season was that all the expectations that others set, so they don’t matter in the final games.
– If you want to go far and to the finals, every game has to want to win. And you have to give yourself a chance to win. It’s not more wonderful, Piiroinen ponders.
– They are not more wonderful people than us. There was also one important doctrine of last season. I see no reason why we could not renew last season’s success.
With the stars
In the summer, Piiroinen learned from Juuse Saros (pictured). Pasi Liesimaa
Early summer Piiroinen was training in Helsinki Ari Räsänen in a group. There were two NHL watchdogs, Juuse Saros and Kevin Lankinen.
– I learned a lot from them. The biggest thing was that I was able to ask things outside of ice every day, for example. They gave me a lot of tips, thanks to them for that.
Piiroinen admits that the goal of his career is to play in North America.
– I’m looking there and there is a tough hood.
Tough twin
Kari Piiroinen (right) and Gustavs Grigals are SaiPa’s goalkeepers in the season starting September 9. Timo Kunnari
Next, Piiroinen focuses on SaiPa’s season. Two young men, Piiroinen and Gustavs Grigals, are defeated by the giants of the Eastern giants.
Either one could be the team’s number one goalkeeper.
The 27-year-old Latvian has played in the United States University Series and has become familiar with the Farm League ECHL.
– No team can do well with one goalkeeper, it has shown history. We have a good and healthy competition. We pushing each other forward every day, and yet we can be friends outside the field and throw in a snack, Piiroinen assures.
International
SaiPa won this summer’s lace tournament. Team workouts go hard. Timo Kunnari
SaiPa’s goalkeeping department is very international as the Czech coach is Czech Tomas Dub.
– We speak English with each other. There is still a bit of getting used to each other, but things are starting to get on good track. This brings a new view to the whole hustle. Things look good, Piiroinen thinks.
SaiPa will start a new season on September 9 at home against KalPa. The ice rink is then full, as it was nine in a row at the end of last season.