I was so bluntly Jere Karalahti’s NHL career ended: “Even more proud that I didn’t submit to”

Jere Karalahti Dual life among sports and intoxicants reached its legal point when the hard-working defender season 2007-08 in the Oulu Kärp was interrupted, suspected of a previous drug offense and the SM league was banned from playing.

Karalahti rushed again, received a life-threatening pancreatitis, and his life thread was for eight days on the breathing machine at the Meilahti Hospital Power Department.

Not many then would have believed that Jere Karalahti would see his 50th anniversary.

It is incredible how he was able to return to the Lions captain and the World Championship medalist.

Ban and breakthrough

The long ban was already preceded by Karalahti’s international breakthrough in the 1997-98 season, when he achieved his winning Finnish championship in the Lion in the Lion and the choice for the All-Star field.

– It felt like hell good, because it had been a ban on the game under the game, Karalahti recalls from the previous fourth league season 1996-97.

At that time, he received a three -month suspended sentence for a drug offense.

-For the first time, I had been selected for the A-team for the Izvestija tournament, and then I was grabbed in front of the IFK ice rink. It became the rest of the season ban.

– The following season I came back. Already it felt particularly good to play at all, and then it went well, Karalahti smiles.

The playoffs were played with the Best Five system, and HIFK won both the quarterfinals, semi -finals and finals against Ilves with a 3-0 win.

– We had a good gang of hell. The training was much tougher than the games, Karalahti describes HIFK’s spring 1998 championship team, which is often mentioned as the best team in league history.

A bitter World Cup

The spring World Championships in Switzerland were the first men’s level in Karalahti’s career.

– Then there was a bitter loss.

Finland lost a two -part final to Sweden.

– The first game was lost from 0 to 1 and in the second, ending 0-0, rejected Peltonen Ville The paint scored, Karalahti times.

After that, the selection of the star did not warm the man much.

– These personal stuff has never mattered to me, but I appreciate that after its ban and all difficulties, I was able to return with a rush and make the final breakthrough to the world level.

The next spring in 1999 was almost identical to Karalahti in the Lion: one consecutive World Championship silver and the other All-Star selection for the tube.

– The previous spring was to go to Los, Karalahti refers to the Los Angeles Kings, who had booked him in the NHL.

– On Midsummer, I went to the glass of glass and I couldn’t train in the summer. That account was not made, but then went to the finals with IFK again. The legendary, hot series for Teps was lost. Personally, though, I did not experience anything more wonderful about it.

This time Finland lost against the Czech Czech Republic of the Norwegian World Cup in the overtime of the latter.

– I was watching next to them when they made that world championship shortly before the end of the overtime, Karalahti remembers the annoyance.

-Yes, they stayed digging, he sums up a consecutive World Cup.

– We both had a full lunch to win, but the little things solved. Then it was like the end of the world when you invested everything in it.

Millions of millions

In 1999-2002, Karalahti played in North America and mainly in the NHL with Kings and Nashville Predators.

“At this older age, I am increasingly proud of myself that I did not submit to the will of the NHL,” he says – even though he lost several millions of dollars by his own decision.

In 2002, Karalahti refused to participate in the NHL intoxicant and returned to HIFK. Let the man justify himself.

– At that time, the NHL had to start everything from the beginning, Karalahti says of his treatment and reminds Kings of the rock hard lineup.

– It was there Rob Blake, Mattias Norström, Mathieu Schneider, Garry Galley… such legendary old covenant packs that earned millions and forcibly played. Me and Aki Bergin The task was to be a vitos and weaving kit, and we played 10-12 minutes per game.

– There was nothing to overwhelming. It was exactly what I would have done, I would still haven’t got more playing time. It became frustrated, and Hollywood and I wasn’t a good combination, Karalahti admits.

– After that, I got to live in Germany, play KHL and end my career in Sweden in one of Europe’s most respected organization in HV71. Everywhere I have enjoyed my condition and learned everything; seen different cultures and got a player to experience and rotate.

– All of them would have been missed if I had stayed in the NHL then. I felt that I had reached an ultimate peak, and KHL, for example, was a sweet thing. Perhaps I was playing the best of my life, and I was chosen for the All-Star match with a soundtrack.

Back from the spirit of spirit

Karalahti’s European years preceded his return from the spirit of the Meilahti Hospital to the top of the Finnish Champions League.

He was reaching the Blues of Espoo’s Blues in 2011, and in the 2013-14 season he won the league defender in the Joker.

– After that coma, I got a whole new career. Then I really started to see what I was eating and how I practice.

The oldest World Cup

At the age of 39, Karalahti achieved his third World Championship silver at the 2014-hosted race hosted by Belarus.

-It is also a great thing that I am the oldest player in Finland ever in the World Cup. Teemu Selänne played at the Olympics as a parent but I went to Minsk Raimo Helminen past.

– However, those are just statistics, Karalahti emphasizes, and then tells what they feel in their career as the biggest honors.

– Jarkko Ruutuwho played nearly 700 NHL matches in a tough role, said in his own biography that if he could choose one type of type to the rink or anywhere, it would be me. It’s one of the greatest tribute to my career, Karalahti says the dose of pride in his voice.

As another example, Karalahti mentions HIFK’s current sports director Janne Pesonen.

-He played in Pittsburgh, won the World Cup gold and championships in Kärp and Russia. In my dock movie, he says somehow nicely that only when I went to the fly, he realized in a new way to cheer and support teammates.

– These are the top memories of my gaming career. There is no sweetest match or that, because there were so many, Karalahti says and recalls that he has played over 1,000 matches as a professional and made over 500 power points.

The physical and sometimes dirty style of play spawned a total of nearly 800 in different series and races.

Captain’s honor

Captain’s C-mark Karalahti carried at HIFK, Dinamo Minsk, HV71 and in some matches in the Blues.

– I think it tells us that when it comes to tough martial arts and the unity of the team, the picture that was created in the public eye is quite wrong.

– I have never been interested in what I am talking about or what I was written. When I put on stuff and have started playing for the team, everyone has seen it a passion and that I play with the soul and heart and give everything. I was ready for anything but teammates.

Not regret anything

Karalahti played an exceptionally long career, which lasted for as long as 23 years.

– Lätkä was such a big deal for me. That was my best thing.

– I’ve always tried to say to everyone that you can play for as long as you can, because there is enough life after that.

Karalahti says he doesn’t regret anything.

– I turn 50 and I’m in really good shape. I work out for the autumn boxing match, Karalahti refers to his match on September 27 Matias Niemi against.

– But if I could go back in time, I would make a few different choices with this life experience, he admits without identifying it more closely.

– They are related to personal life.

Karalahti celebrates his birthday with his children on Tuesday with his children.

– The time for the party will be sometime later.