Lauri Eloluoto arrived at TPS training and took his place in the first row.
Hardly even many floorball followers had heard of it Lauri from Eloluoto before this season.
No wonder. Before this season, the 19-year-old from Masku played in the junior leagues in the ranks of Wirmo/Masku.
For this season, he rose directly to the league circles, when the playing spot was released from the Turku Palloseura F-league team. The debut season has been amazing.
In 13 F-league matches, Eloluoto has scored 14+11=25 points. With that, the entire league’s point exchange foursome will be released.
Similar sensations are rarely seen. The jump from just the men’s Divar to the F-League is tough, and the hottest junior promises rarely get past the radar.
TPS assistant coach, also known as a writer and journalist Oskar Saari frankly admits that he had no idea what kind of player he was when Eloluoto arrived at the Turku team’s training for the first time.
Lauri Eloluoto is this season’s breakthrough player in the men’s F-league. Janne Hirvensalo / TPS
– I could remember the long-haired Lauri, maybe somehow from last season, when I was still coaching in the Suomi series, and he was in Wirmo’s lineup.
– He came to our training in the summer, and I watched as some tall guy came. Then he started scoring goals. He just came and stayed in that chain – it would have been quite difficult to take him away, Saari enthuses with a laugh.
The head coach saw Eloluoto’s potential Perttu Kytöhonka.
– He is one of these special finds of head coach Pertu. I guess he had some information about the promising guy, but I think this scoring rate came as a surprise to all of us.
Until the national team?
Oskari Saari writes for his day job, but also coaches a league team. Jussi Eskola
The reigning Finnish champion TPS experienced heavy losses after last season’s golden celebration. Of the first guns Miko Kailiala went to switzerland Ville Hirvisuo to Sweden and Mikko Hautaniemi stopped.
Eloluoto has found its place in the number one chain. Chemicals work especially in the center Walter Vesterinen with.
– Lauri is a really motivated young player who wants to receive feedback and strives to learn from it. To some extent, I have had time to give him individual feedback as well. Let’s see how badly I manage to prank the boy, Saari grins.
– He has the potential to make it all the way to the national team in the next few years. This is a rare type of player.
Saari joined the coaching team in the middle of last season, although the original plan was for the current season.
Book projects are his main work. Podcasts, narrations and coaching go hand in hand.
– Floorball and coaching are dear things to me. I go one year at a time. So far, there is so little money in our sport that it is not possible to get a main job, but that is why it fits my pattern very well now.
TPS is sixth in the F-League.
According to Saari, Eloluodo has potential all the way to the top. Janne Hirvensalo / TPS