Olympic medalist Meeri Räisänen talks about the turning point that affected her career and the differences of playing with men.
Meeri Räisänen wants to continue her career. Lotta Kalteva
- Top goalkeeper Meeri Räisänen, who has been out of the public eye for a long time, is without a company.
- Räisänen describes training with boys and men as a lifeline for his career.
- A new insight changed the practice.
Olympic medalist Meeri Räisänen empii.
The national team goalkeeper has not given interviews for a long time. Due to his previous experiences, Räisänen is cautious and considers the interview request carefully.
Finally he agrees. Räisänen is ready to talk about the June news bomb that changed hockey forever.
The North American women’s ice hockey league PHF was sold, due to which the contracts of several Finnish players were voided. Räisänen played PHF in the Connecticut Whalers last season and would have liked to return to the series.
Now the 33-year-old goalkeeper of the Women’s Lions is without a place to play.
– I would really like to play a lot. I’ve had to think about what I want to do, the national team goalkeeper says.
PHF was bought by the investment companies Mark Walter Group and Billie Jean King Enterprises, which are behind the rival series PWHL. The new owners decided not to play PHF this season.
The PWHL consists of six teams with stars from the US and Canadian national teams.
– The situation is quite sad. In recent years, there have been two leagues where there has been room for players. Now the league’s players were left empty-handed. They don’t fit in the PWHL, Räisänen says.
Räisänen is now considering whether his career will continue in Finland or abroad. He has had discussions with some clubs. The equation is not easy, because you can’t make money playing in your home country.
Räisänen, who lives in Jyväskylä, does not rule out playing on a boys’ or men’s team, as he played in the 2021-22 season in the under-20 boys’ Mestis.
– Playing with men and boys has been pleasant. There is no women’s team in Jyväskylä. At this age, I would like to play in a team where there would be a chance to succeed. There is a lot to think about, says the goalkeeper.
Medalist
Räisänen is an Olympic and World Cup medalist. IIHF
Räisänen has won two Olympic bronze medals and two World Championship bronze medals in the national team. He was not in the team in August, when Naisleijonat played the Euro Hockey Tour tournament in Vierumäki.
Räisänen politely refuses to comment on issues related to the national team.
During last year’s World Cup, the goalkeeper sent his father birthday wishes on social media and regretted not being able to join in the celebration. Some of the commenters interpreted the update as linking Susanna Tapani for a wedding visit during the World Cup that caused a stir.
– I have the right to be congratulated on the anniversary without being linked to another person’s actions, the goalkeeper replied to the commentators at the time.
Ilta-Sanomat reports in August of last year, that Räisänen would have been shelved in the middle of the World Cup. GM of the Lionesses Tuula Puputti denied the claim.
Soul hole
Räisänen feels that he has developed by playing with boys and men. Jiri Halttunen
Girls competing with boys came into public discussion in September when Hufvudstadsbladet (HBL) told about the gender-neutral sports competitions organized for Swedish-speaking elementary schools in Helsinki. A teacher at a school expressed his concern about the girls’ motivation to continue with sports, when the majority of the medals in the games went to boys.
Räisänen is familiar with training and playing with boys, even though it’s a different sport.
– I have started hockey with the boys. There were no girls’ teams then, but it was the norm to play with boys, the Olympic medalist says.
Räisänen considers training with boys essential for his own career.
– It’s a spiritual hole for me that I train with people who are better than me. I get a feeling of success when I outplay myself against better, stronger and faster players. I like being able to challenge myself.
– I think that the longer you can be with the boys, the better. That’s where you develop yourself.
Räisänen has called the coaches of the boys’ teams and asked for permission to join the training. He has also been at JYP’s Junior training this year.
– In the men’s teams, the focus is on doing. If something is said, no one takes it personally. It’s just a commentary to promote the game and to do. Such an environment moves the species and the individual forward.
The career continues
The goalkeeper’s attitude towards training changed. Miikka Jääskeläinen/AOP
Räisänen has enough desire to play, even if the future is shrouded in darkness. The career continues as long as you enjoy playing.
There is a new insight in the background.
– 3-4 years ago there were big injuries. After them, I have found the joy of training and moving, says the goalkeeper.
– I’ve always pulled myself into the barrel during training and had snot on my cheek. Today, the training culture has changed so that more quality is done than quantity. I have started to enjoy training and learned to listen to myself.
The door to North America is not completely closed. The goal of the new owners of the ditched PHF is to launch a new women’s top series in January 2024.