Joker champion Heikki Riihijärvi even sold his jersey and took a big risk with his wife – “All eggs in one basket”

When you mention the name of the ice hockey player Riihijärvi, often the first thing that comes to mind is the power forward from the 90s Juha Riihijärvi.

– I still occasionally receive e-mails that start with “Hey, Juha”. Many times I have also been addressed as Juhana. I will then call back with the wrong name as well, Heikki Riihijärvi carves.

The older of the two brothers, Heikki, who turns 60 on Thursday, was the opposite of his brother as a player. A frameful defensive defender who really didn’t go crazy with points in the SM league.

However, it is not appropriate to call his career modest. Riihijärvi was part of the Joker’s star team in the early 90s and got to lift the Canada cup twice. There were also championships abroad.

Riihijärvi has also been heard of after his career. Together with his wife Johanna, he has created Finland’s largest gym chain Liiku. The man is still not ready to climb the “ivory tower”. If the Oulu gym’s drain is blocked, Riihijärvi starts his car and goes to open it.

– I get more joy from picking up a brush and painting a wall for a day.

All eggs in one basket

When the hockey player’s career ended in the early 2000s, Riihijärvi had a clear plan.

His parents had a block store in Oulu, and he wanted to continue taking care of it. The shopkeeper’s work was 24 hours a day.

– During those five years, I learned how to cut fish and meat. However, the best thing was that I got to interact with people.

At the same time, they wanted to root their children somewhere. Oulu was a natural choice.

– How well did the instillation work, when two of our three children now live in the United States, he reflects with a twinkle in his eye.

The merchant also became a personal trainer. Then came the real place. Wife Johanna Riihijärvi has told, among other things In economic lifehow disagreements with his own father led to his leaving the Hukka fitness center in Oulu.

Trying means taking risks and enduring them. The couple honed their plan and traveled around Europe to find out what kind of gyms were the most popular.

Finland lacked the so-called budget concept. Automation would help keep costs under control, which would directly affect the price of a gym membership.

Riihijärvi believed in its functionality so strongly that they were ready to take a big risk.

– I don’t have any jerseys from the Jokerit years left. I have kept the championship rings, but yes, we put all our eggs in one basket.

– I don’t know how it would have turned out if this hadn’t been successful, says Riihijärvi.

The first Liikku was opened in Oulu in 2010. Customers had a month’s notice to get out of their contracts, for example during the summer holidays.

It’s crazy, many people scared Riihijärvi. That model is not worth it, the intimidators continued.

Now there are 72 Liukkus, and four new ones are under construction. The growth rate has been around 10 new offices per year.

– We never had any chain plans. Then Kaakkur in Oulu became available for rent, and through sports I had good contacts with a negotiation partner. Kaakkuri’s hall became a success, and we thought about whether there could be a third of these, Riihijärvi recalls.

Brother in front

Riihijärvi feels that hockey has given him an understanding of the importance of a team.

There must be a captain in the team, but no one should feel the threshold to go ask for help or help others.

– No one can do this alone.

The second championship in Joker’s history from the spring of 1992 boils down to a similar idea.

The Helsinki team exuded skill. Was young Teemu Selänne and Keijo Säilynojaclosed-minded Otakar Janeckythe future world champion pack Mika Strömberg and as the last lock Markus Ketterer.

– Still, it was like a group of young friends who liked playing hockey. We went to eat together as a group a lot and spent time as a team. For some reason, the group dynamic was extremely good.

The Finnish championship was decided in the fifth final against JYP. On the opposite side, nephew Juha Riihijärvi experienced disappointment.

– When the game started, we were enemies. Of course, we didn’t hit each other, but we fought for the spur in the face of blood.

Two years later came another SM gold. Back then Jokerit already looked different.

– Top players in the points exchange were acquired. It changed the dynamic a bit, but that’s how it usually goes.

From 8 months to 8 years

The following summer, Riihijärvi crashed in Oulu Kari Jaloseen and told him that you can tell about good jobs. The two ended up playing in France for the Rouen team.

– I signed an eight-month contract. We lived there with our family for eight years.

The defensive defender emerged as a power pack known from his junior years in France.

– The salary level was such that you did well with it and taxation was lighter.

– The composition of the national team was already well established, and I had already buried the NHL dream in my mind. Dreams and dreams were perhaps already somewhere else, and social networks began to form in France.

Riihijärvi also had an NHL reservation. It came in the summer of 1984. Of course, it was a time when Riihijärvi had to read in the next day’s paper that the Edmonton Oilers had called his name in the seventh round.

The first age crisis

– 60 years is the first age crisis, says Riihijärvi.

They say turning fifty didn’t feel like anything yet. He was still a young boy then, he describes the feeling.

– I feel that there is a difference. The seats start to fill up a little more at the end of the day.

During my playing career, my knees took the hardest hits.

– They are in such condition that if I only wanted to change them, they would be changed. But our office has people in their thirties who don’t care about my knee problems. That’s how you keep yourself younger when you try to keep up with their games.

The movement is growing at breakneck speed, and Riihijärvi’s goal is to keep it “Finland’s biggest, most beautiful and handsome”. The job description is free and seems to keep the mind as well as the body invigorated.

– I’m also forgiven a lot because I’m already in my sixties, he laughs.