Aleksandr Georgiev is the first point guard of the Colorado Avalanche. Justus Annunen challenges in the background. Jussi Parkkila coaches both.
- Jussi Parkkila from Tampere is already coaching the Avalanche for the seventh season.
- Aleksandr Georgiev and Justus Annunen are coached by the man.
Dual citizen of Bulgaria and Russia Alexander Georgiev is a goalkeeper product created and maintained by Finnish coaching.
The goalkeeper who left TPS for the world is currently playing for the Colorado Avalanche, and is coached by Jussi Parkkila.
The duo’s collaboration is sometimes colorful.
– He is an interesting person. At this point, you can use the expression that goalkeepers are their own breed, Parkkila laughs in an interview with Iltalehti in the ball arena’s courtyard.
The duo is working together for the second season in Colorado.
– He has been a different person as a work partner. I myself try to absorb new things from the goalkeepers. This is how I develop, partly with their help. I have to learn to convey the message to him in the right way, Parkkila continues.
Do you sometimes get together with your mentees?
– Here we are together so much during the season that it can’t be just a smile every day. It can’t go like this, where we are always tight-lipped and the players say, “yes, coach”.
– Of course, we’ve never had any big arguments. But I have told Aleksandar that feelings must be shown and there must be dialogue. And let’s try to get him the right thing. Aleksandr is a challenging coach who at the same time teaches me new things.
“It won’t get cold”
Aleksander Georgiev’s hobbies include investing. AOP / USA TODAY Sports
Georgiev is a hard trainee.
– Physically, he is in great shape. He has worked well for years and likes to work a lot. It won’t get colder than that.
– Technology sometimes has good and bad sides, just like everyone else. We do things with him all the time. However, this year has been challenging when he plays so much, almost every other night. This is the kind of tightrope dance when we don’t get to practice very much.
– He would also like to take time to practice sometimes. We watch videos and try to bring things from it into the game, but it’s difficult when you don’t get to do repetitions on the ice. It’s mentally hard to play that much, says Parkkila.
via Finland
Georgijev appeared at Fredrik Norrena’s hockey school in Pietarsaari at the age of ten.
After that, Nassikka, who lived in the Moscow region, went to ice hockey camp for several summers at the insistence of his parents.
The goalkeeper who played for Himik Voskresenski during his junior years moved to TPS as an A-junior for the 2014–15 season.
– It was a brave move. At that time, we didn’t promise him anything other than a high-quality everyday life at TPS, Norrena recalls.
In his first season, Georgiev marked games in A-juniors and the League, as well as in the Russian U20 national team.
The man played league games in Turku in three different seasons and then went to the New York Rangers as an undrafted player. From there, the trip continued to Colorado.
Big sacrifices
Jussi Parkkila is the Colorado Avalanche’s goalie coach for the seventh season. TIMO KUNNARI
Georgiev is on top.
– I knew that he has potential and opportunities to reach the top, but all this is the result of long work and many sacrifices. His whole family was ready to sacrifice everything for his son’s playing career, says Norrena.
In Rangers, things haven’t really started yet.
– The beginning in the NHL was not easy. Rangers had really tough goalkeepers up front. After that, he made it to the NHL’s champion team and has shown that he can play there as the number one goalie, Norrena continues.
Neurotraining
Georgiev lives in Raisio during the summers. He acts as a coach for his physical side Marko Yrjövuorithat is, Georgijev is in Finnish coaching summers and winters.
– The great thing about Alex is that he is very receptive to new things. He is a young man with a thirst for knowledge, says Yrjövuori.
– Neurotraining was included in Alex’s summer last summer. That is, among other things, training for balance, reaction and processing speed. So the brain is also trained. We will test him at the beginning of the summer, and the tests are strongly involved in the making anyway, Yrjövuori opens.
Where are the limits?
Aleksandr Georgiev blocks a field goal attempt by Mitch Marner of the Toronto Maple Leafs. AOP / USA Today Sports
The limits of the 28-year-old defender have not yet been met.
– His limits are somewhere where the other top goalies in today’s NHL are. Physique, sports skills and dedication are top notch. We’ll see if the experience brings that last step, Norrena reflects.
Can Georgiev be the number one goaltender for a Stanley Cup winner?
– No one has a crystal ball in that matter, but I believe he can do it. When you look at what kind of goalies have won the Stanley Cup, he is in the exact same category.
– Becoming the best in the world requires many things to fall into place. Health must be preserved, Norrena reminds.
– He is still developing and will definitely be a better goalkeeper in five years.
Ismo Lehkonen follows Avalanche’s games closely.
– Georgiev wants to be the best goalkeeper in the NHL, and there is nothing wrong with that. Either he achieves that goal or he doesn’t, but with his attitude, great things are done in competitive sports.
A true investor
Avalanche superstar Mikko Rantanen and Georgijev talking. AOP / USA TODAY Sports
Georgiev fully concentrates on his work. The occasional arguments with the club’s goalkeeper coach also show that. The man leaves no stone unturned.
– Of course, I’m not coaching him at the moment, but we do talk about things. He sometimes goes to the ice of TPS A-juniors in the summer. He’s a bit of a down-to-earth guy with a good math head and who’s interested in things like investing, says Norrena.
Right now, Georgiev’s task is to take a skilled Avalanche team to the Stanley Cup finals. Jussi Parkkila is an important help in the project.