Dear Finland,

it's been a blast. Two long weeks ago, when I was just a naive Canadian who knew nothing about your terrifying heavy metal, your high standard of living or your complete lack of sunlight (210% of the time, as I understand it) I embarked on the Nordic journey of a lifetime.

I didn't know about your vicious hatred of Stieg Larsson or your silly rivalry with Latvia over the 1925 "Wooden Flute Incident." I was just a young Mikko Koivu fan who enjoyed satisfactory two-way centres and good sportsmanship.

Then my man Eklund tasked me to cover (what I assume is, having never actually been to middle earth) your beautiful country and your Elvish language at the World Cup of Hockey. I hoped to perhaps meet Legolas, or at least someone named Onni.

(Here is some music from my homeland, since we see the sun, you'll notice it isn't bleak and terrifying).



So I adopted Finland as my new home country. I did not expect to fall in love. But then I met Venla, my substitute mail-lady and recent Finnish immigrant to Canada, and she recognized me from the Finnish news.

We watched the World Cup together as love blossomed like one of those popular Finnish Flowers that grow there.

But then, disaster struck. The Finns couldn't handle the Russians and in a fit of pique I blamed it on the Finish logging industry.

Venla was dispassionate and calm, but you could tell I could not have insulted her more had I draped myself in a Swedish flag and sung the Swedish Military chant that goes "Sun-din, I-Ke-a, Fore-es-berg."

3-0 Russia.



And who can blame them? The Finns played well, but had no answer for Vladimir Tarasenko. They really had no chance though, the Russians had to win to stay in and the Finns were facing what amounted to an exhibition game.

Sure, they didn't want to go winless, but the Russians were playing for more than pride. To their immense credit, the Finns played a decent game, but like the rest of the tournament, they just couldn't get any bounces to go their way.

In the end, they should be pretty happy with their performance. They outplayed the Swedes and could easily have won that game. If they did, the North Americans would still be playing and I would still care about this tournament.

But, technicalities abound and they are out. As is the team from my adopted homeland.

Ah Finland, you could have given us our life-long (or week-long, to be more accurate) dream of a Canada vs North America quarter final game. Alas, it was not to be.

Venla..........? Why did you desert me?

I for one, blame Norway.

It was a great tournament and Finland should be proud - with Barkov and Laine their team is only going to get better. And while it seems like an injustice that both Finland and North America are now out, it is nothing to the injustice of the Coca Cola Company stealing Joulupukki and using him to sell poisonous brown carbonated sugar water for the last century.

Thanks for reading. I love you Finland.

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