No matter what he accomplishes in hockey – even if he makes the NHL and shatters all of Bobby Orr’s records – Finnish defenseman and Detroit Red Wings prospect Vili Saarijarvi knows that he’ll never be the biggest deal back home.
That’s because Saarijarvi’s hometown of Rovaniemi, Finland is billed as the official hometown of Santa Claus.
“Santa,… Saarijarvi said. “My boy.…
And before you ask, yes, back home Saarijarvi has met jolly old St. Nick on many occasions.
“When I was younger I went many times to see Santa,… Saarijarvi said. “Santa, he’s a great guy. When I was little I went twice a year to see him.…
The capital of Lapland in northern Finland, Rovaniemi’s Santa Claus Village, situated directly on the Arctic Circle, is a year-round attraction that draws 300,000 tourists annually to the city.
“It’s huge,… Saarijarvi said. “It’s a big thing. People come from all over the world to see Santa, especially in the wintertime.
“It’s a special thing that my hometown has. That’s how my hometown is known in Finland. It’s a pretty big thing in my hometown.…
Saarijarvi will be spending his holiday season involved in another big thing - helping the Finns defend the world junior title he aided them in winning a year ago on home ice.
During a distracting year in the OHL with the Flint Firebirds, where the coaching staff was fired twice, the team briefly went on strike and the team owner was suspended by the league, the world juniors provided an oasis from the chaos that too often filled Saarijarvi’s 2015-16 hockey season.
“That helped a lot,… Saarijarvi said. “We had a pretty tough time (in Flint) before the world juniors and then I went home and got to see family and friends and then go play the tournament and we won the tournament.…
Sadly, the good times didn’t roll for very long.
“I got back to the States and we played the same night when I got back and it was like my feelings were going up and down,… Saarijarvi said. “I went back (home) and we won but at the same time we were having a hard time here (in Flint). It was kind of like I needed to put the right balance between those things.
“It’s not always just winning. It was tough but we handled the situation pretty well as a group of guys in Flint. Last year was maybe the best year I had. It was fun. There was good guys, good coaches, and we won the world juniors. It was something that was for sure a year that I won’t forget.…
During the off-season, Saarajarvi, who underwent wrist surgery in August, was dealt to the OHL’s Mississauga Steelheads.
“I did ask for a trade but it wasn’t anything personal against Flint,… Saarijarvi explained. “I don’t have anything against the Flint team, I just thought it’s going to be best for me.…
Saarijarvi is one of a number of Finnish players who play regularly in North America, where this season’s world junior is being contested on the smaller ice surface, and he thinks that will take away some of the advantage that Canada normally carries on home ice.
“For sure a lot, especially now, when the tournament is going to be in Montreal and Toronto, it’s going to help a lot,… Saarijarvi said.
Not being required to adjust their body clocks to the eastern time zone will be another edge for many of the Finns.
“We’ve have guys coming over here and playing the season and then going to the tournament from here,… Saarijarvi said. “It’s a big difference than coming from Europe.
“The game, it’s a different game. There’s so much less space and the game is faster, so it’s difficult. But I think it helped me a lot. This is my third year here. It helps me a lot moving forward. If I look now from three years ago, it helps me more that I have the experience playing on the small ice, then if I played on the big ice.
“Definitely it’s a good thing that I’m staying here. That’s how I feel.…
Besides being home to Santa Claus, there’s another attraction in Rovaniemi that also brings out the Christmas spirit all year round – reindeer. They’re everywhere.
“There’s a lot of reindeer,… said Saarijarvi, who gets plenty of good-natured ribbing from his teammates about Rovaniemi.
“Because I’m from up north and there’s a lot of reindeer, they are always teasing me about it.…
While it was a big deal in Rovaniemi when the Red Wings selected Saarijarvi with the 73rd pick of the 2015 NHL entry draft, with such a legend as Santa Claus already residing where he’s from, Saarijarvi accepts the reality that he’ll forever be a B-list celebrity around town.
“He’s the most famous guy in my hometown and he’s going to be the most famous guy, no matter what happens, no matter who does anything,… Saarijarvi said.
Detroit Ties This season’s world junior tourney will feature three Red Wings prospects in action.
Besides Saarijarvi, defenseman Filip Hronek, selected 53rd overall in the 2016 NHL entry draft, will play for the Czech Republic and Joren Van Pottelberghe (110th, 2015) will tend goal for Switzerland.
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