Deciding who would manage Team Finland in the World Cup of Hockey was an easy matter. On Wednesday, 6-7, 235-pounds of Olli Malmivaara walked into League Commissioner Chuck Massaro’s office and said, “I want to play in the tournament and I want my GM to be boss.”
Ninety-one seconds later, Massaro announced tha
Olli Malmivaara, Bern Interrail
t Paja Jansson would be manager of Team Finland and that Malmivaara would be on the roster. Only Malmivaara and accountant Rose were around to hear the announcement, but Massaro informed Jansson about four hours later.
“I was planning to spend some time with my girlfriend, but I guess managing a fictional team in a fictional tournament is more important,” Jansson said. “I know her pretty well, and I bet she will have no problem whatsoever with me putting fictional Mikko Koivu and fictional Tuukka Rask ahead of her.”
Without his girlfriend’s help, Jansson came up with a proposed starting lineup for the tournament. Team Finland figures to have the following forwards in Bern: Patrik Laine, Valtteri Filppula, Mikko Lehtonen, Aleksander Barkov, Sebastien Aho, Kristian Kuusela, Mikael Granlund, Olli Palola, Erik Haula, Teuvo Teravainen , Ville Vahalahti and Koivu, who will be captain of the squad.
That unit might be a little light on lines 3 and 4, but the top two lines have size and skill. Jansson might have to rethink his decision to have the talented 23-year-old Barkov center his second line. Barkov, who has an impressive 51 points for the Berlin Smurfs this season, will apparently need to be motivated more than most.
“I have heard nothing but bad things about Jansson and I’m not sure I want to play for him. Our general manager (Guybrush Threepwood) knows him very well and he said I will hate being around Jansson on a daily basis,” Barkov said. “He said noise-cancelling headphones are my only hope.” Look for Barkov to skate with countryman Aho, who plays for Jansson in Bern.
On defense, the team will be solid, with Ossi Vaananen (another resistant Smurf), Sami Vatanen, Olli Maatta, Janne Niskala, Rasmus Ristolainen and Bern’s Malmivaara. Tuukka Rask and Kari Ramo will split goaltending duties for Team Finland.
The reserves who will enjoy Bern from the bleachers are: Jarko Immonen, Artturi Lehkonen, defensemen Michael Keranen and Esa Lindell; and goalie Pekka Rinne.
