Marko Anttila is a fantastic leader, but the role of Leijoni’s captain now belongs only to Mikko Rantanen, writes Riku Isokoski.
The lions’ buns seem to be so good in the oven this year that you have to look for grievances. But an interesting competition spring is not born without burning discussions.
The big question in Leijon is related to the selection of the captain before the opening game against the United States on Friday. In practice, there are two options.
The most natural and familiar option would of course be the greatest lion legend of our time, Marko Anttila, whose leadership should not be questioned by anyone.
Anttila is a great lion captain and will always remain so.
Anttila is the ultimate team man and the very best in the A group in the role of captain. Also, the playing level is still quite sufficient for the role of captain, as was seen in the matches preparing for the World Cup.
This spring’s Anttila could very well be the captain in another year, but now in Leijon the situation is that one of the best players in the world plays in the team.
Mikko Rantanen has to be the captain of the Lions, and this can be nailed to the church door. This spring’s Leijonat is Rantanen’s team anyway.
In addition to his playing skills, Rantanen is also the leader of an extremely tough class, so the arguments are strongly in the direction of the Nousiainte man.
I personally value the fact that in a captain, alongside the traditional booth leadership, he also takes his own team on the field when necessary.
I know, Anttila has taken the Lions on his backpack numerous times during his career, but compared to Rantase, his abilities for game-like leadership are very limited. Especially for the kind of leadership that produces results.
Of course, we are talking about players in a completely different role. Anttila exploits, grinds and kills subordinates – Rantanen dominates on the offensive end.
The strength of the offensive game is the modern age and above all the future of hockey, so in this sense, it would be a good moment in Leijon to transfer the captain’s responsibility to a different type of player.
After all, Rantanen has already captained the national team coached by Jukka Jalonen. This happened at the World Junior Championships in 2016, when the result was gold – how else.
At the end of the day, the name of the captain is quite insignificant in terms of the success of the Lions. The team’s values are unshakable, and leadership is shared widely in the experienced group.
The world needs role models, and Rantanen is the Lions’ undisputed leading star.
Marko Anttila is a great leader of the Lions, regardless of whether he is the captain or not. Petri Saarelainen, AOP