Finland selected Utah defensemen Juuso Välimäki and Olli Määttä to represent the country at the 4 Nations Face-Off from Feb. 12-20 in Boston and Montréal. Välimäki and Määttä have been frequent participants for Finland in international events over their careers. Välimäki joined Petey and Craig to discuss the event and Finland’s all-in approach to international hockey.
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I think it’s just an honor to be able to wear that you know Jersey um it started at a very young age like for us uh in Finland like we you know starts with U6 um you know we’re I don’t know we’re 15 years old like that’s always kind of growing up like that’s the goal to be with the national team like you want to be on those teams you want to make those teams you want to play those tournaments uh so that’s kind of what you like you know that’s your main goals lot of the years Our Guest today because we have Utah defenseman yo valaki who was named to finland’s roster today so very excited for this interview and here he is look at them look at this Christmas Valley what’s up boys how you doing you this is huge like and I and I know this is a made for TV event so they PR out the releases later when did you find out uh a couple of days ago I got the call so I was and what’s that call like like what’s that like when you get the call this a big deal what’s that call like for you what do you feel like after yeah I mean it’s uh it’s huge um pretty short and sweet the call itself um kind of like you know we want you to be in the team and um you know I say how excited I am and then you know then kind of head it’s like afterwards a little bit you’re like okay like that actually happened and um I’m going to be part of that team and um yeah I mean it was you know a special special moment and uh it was one of those uh days that we didn’t play so I was just at home and um you know spent the rest of with my family and um yeah just like excitement and I guess you know proud of myself in a way too and um you know just just a happy phone goal to get you’ve competed in quite a few international events and games for your country I I was I was looking on various sites and I never know if the uh the game count is accurate but it’s basically you you played like half an NHL season for for Finland in various events why do you and and guys like o Mata always answer the call when other NHL players might take breaks why is this important to you uh I think it’s just an honor to be able to wear that you know Jersey um it started at a very young age like for us uh in Finland like we you know it starts with U6 um you know we’re I don’t know we’re 15 years old like that’s always kind of growing up like that’s the goal to be with the national team like you want to be on those teams you want to make those teams you want to play those tournaments uh so that’s kind of what you like you know that’s your main goals a lot of the years um yes you want to play well you know year round for for your teams and all that but um you know those are you know big goals like u8s the world juniors which I um was fortunate enough to play a couple of times in both both of those tournaments um so those are just something that you really look forward to and you want to be part of um and then you just see how like exciting and how awesome it is to to actually represent your country and um I think Finland as as a country like we you know as players but as you know fans and as you know country like we love our hockey and uh it’s very big so to be able to play for team Finland it’s it’s huge and it’s you know that’s like the dream for for every kid and um you know this is you know playing at this stage um obviously very cool unique tournament but but uh to be able to play with the best and and compete that’s uh that’s the ultimate goal there I want to talk about that fing angle a little bit more later but what do you know about the four nations Faceoff what do what do you know about the event the format all that and what do you think of it what do you think of this idea I think it’s cool I mean I think the the biggest thing about it is to get the best players to represent their own countries um you know I think we’ve missed that um for for her many years now as as hockey players and as fans and as you know Community I think that’s what we need uh and I think that’s something that every player wants to do you know you want to be um competing with the best and against the best and I think that’s kind of the best part about it um obviously other than that like you know the format everything like schedule’s tight you know um there isn’t too much you know lead up to it um and all that it’s you know we’re all in midseason form anyways at that point so it doesn’t I don’t think that really matters um the cities that we’re going to play in the ranks that we’re going to play in um definitely topnotch can really pick better spots so that’s exciting and um yeah I mean I think it’s just kind of excitement all around about everything yeah for me it’s this is the first best on best tournament we’ve seen since 2016 and the World Cup of Hockey and a little different tournament there because there’s I IIHF players that one this is all NHL players and if people are wondering why CIA and and Germany and some of these other teams aren’t there is you got to have enough NHL players to F the team so we’ve narrowed it down to four and so I’m gonna ask you about this youo because I look at this this finished roster and he I call it like I see it some of the best forwards in the world are playing for Team Canada I think their forward lineup is outstanding I I I like the the Americans got the best goal tending but when I look at a team that’s built as a team and and top to bottom a roster guys that fill rolls kill penalties guys that could be a third line Winger up and down the roster this finish team is going to surprise some people have you had a chance to look through all of the rers yet and where do you think this finish TEAM stands up yeah I mean I think we could definitely compete I don’t think um you know the margins are that big I think like kind of how you put it they like rolles and then I think it comes down to like how quickly you can get on the same page as team how tight you can be right away I think those are you know really going to be the differences I think you know you look at rosters like you can say Canada has the best forwards but you’re looking at our forwards you have barov who just lifted a cup as a captain and you know you have guys like AO and L and hint and ranton and like you know you can keep going and going and it’s like oh like they don’t have as good as forwards as Canada well I don’t know like like that’s fair you know tough to compare so I think it’s going to come down to you know different things um like you said roles and then I think with that like special teams are going to be big and um you know the kind of the mental side how how quickly you can get together as a team and um I think that’s going to be the biggest you know difference I I think everyone’s rosters rosters are pretty good yeah and you’re looking at too this is a right in the middle of a of a break for most of the other players guys that aren’t going to this tournament get a big long break you know they’re going to Cabo and Vegas and having fun hey you’re going to two great cities like Montreal and Boston trust me I I work for a team in the world cup there’s plenty of fun as well you’re not going to get cheated but the game atmosphere when you’re when you lace up and put on the team finish Jersey it just hits different I I know it’s a break and I know there’s no gold medal and I know this isn’t the Olympics but when you step on that stage and put on the team Finland Jersey it’s different and this isn’t a knock on on the Utah Hockey Club at all I mean when you put on an NHL Jersey it’s meaningful and you have that you compete when you compete for your country it’s different what does it feel like putting on the finished Jersey versus playing you know a Tuesday night in the NHL yeah I mean I think it’s like you know a little bit of that honor part comes in with it you know you you know you’re representing I don’t know five and a half million people W from Finland you’re you know you’re part of that you’re not just part of an organization or a state or and again same thing with you like I’m not um putting down Utah or any any other City no I think it’s just uh you know the stage is like that much bigger and it feels feels different also it’s not an everyday thing that’s another thing it’s like you know this is you know first at this format or for you know for Nations thing um but overall you know obviously this is kind of leading up to Olympics and all that like Olympics is every four years years for a couple of weeks it’s not like you’re playing for you know 6 to eight months all the time and you know you’re playing 82 games like this is much more rare and much more you know kind of meaningful in that way um so yeah it’s it’s going to be awesome and um you know I’m really looking forward to it well I got a one quick comment from Car Wash said is this real live interview or is this pre-recorded buddy this is live youo valami in front of his Christmas tree at home in Utah hiasi that was from Preston Patterson a little hiasi all messed up but there it is oh that’s fancy you so I have to ask and I remember asking guys in the past that that were with you know organizations that I covered the the previous incarnation of of this organization um Lori corosi an rant why does Finland always show so well in these tournaments everybody takes pride in in representing their country but there just seems to be a different Vibe with Finland they always seem to perform well yeah I mean I I think you know it comes down to those things like I think we you know go in and we really want to be a group we really want to be a team I think we’re all going to buy into our you know roles um I think it’s you know a lot of those things I think coaches have always been great you know there’s there’s a lot of these things and I think at some level like you know everyone everyone is going to see us like as underdogs pretty much right so then there’s a little bit of that like okay we’ll show them like we can be better than them um I remember some of those feelings I get u18s when I played u18s we played semi-final against USA played them for you know last two years I don’t know five to 10 times never beat him but then when it’s you know time to actually beat him at the semis and uh in u8s we did it for the first time and it’s like okay well we’re The Underdogs but we’ll we’ll do it we’ll show them how how it’s done so I think that probably plays a little bit of part um you know we’re just kind of you know really want to show the world that uh that what we’re all about and and uh I think we have that you know same same kind of chance uh chance at this tournament I I got to ask you’re you’re obviously going with a teammate and a countryman oie Mata got the invite as well I’m just curious how well you knew him before he came to Utah what you’ve learned from him what it what it’s going to be like to get to put on the sweater with him and and compete in this tournament with him yeah I mean it’s awesome to to have a you know teammate to go with you and um you know you have a kind of a closer you know connection there a little bit and um don’t have to get out on the plane plane alone so that’s nice but uh I knew him a little bit uh kind of crossed paths a couple of times back in Finland in the Summers over the last couple years so knew him like a little bit not uh not too deeply though and um but it’s been it’s been nice to kind of get to know him more and you know he’s a he’s a great um great dude just kind of easygoing uh works really hard um you know really he’s got that you know veteran Stanley Cup presence in a way like you you know when you know he tells something or or do the team like that you listen you know he knows what he’s talking about and um you know it’s that’s that kind of leadership it’s great to have around the team and obviously a great player on the ice and he’s been he’s been great for us uh good audition and on our blue line and um we’re happy to have it I’m I’m happy to have him as a teammate and happy to go to this tournament with him all right let’s let’s talk a little bit about Utah as long as you mentioned that you’ve appeared in I believe 19 games this season it’s been a little different for you um obviously they added a lot in the offseason how have you managed you so being maybe out of the lineup at times and what do you think is the state of your game right now I think as of right now it’s it’s at a good good point um yeah like you mentioned it hasn’t necessarily been you know the the start that I was I was looking for as for myself and I think a little bit for for us as a team as well after that you know couple three game uh winning streak at the start um I think right now it’s uh I think I’m playing well and and as a team I think we’re also playing well it’s a little bit similar you know similar thing for me and for the team I feel like there’s you know nights where you just kind of don’t get results that you know like you look at you look at the game and you’re like God we should have won that game or you know for myself it’s a little bit like God we should have scored there or there or there like it’s it’s been a little bit like that I would say um so I I think as a whole and as a you know long season um you know we just kind of keep doing what we’re doing and it will pay off and and I think for me um obviously I think this um selection kind of comes in a good time I think it gives me a little bit of a boost and kind of a confidence thing it’s like okay good I’m I’m on the team that’s you know big deal I’m very you know happy about it and excited and honored and all that and um kind of want to take it as like a positive little boost for myself and and uh kind of get another gear here and and uh you know start helping the team a little bit more um but I think uh I think overall when you look at it as you know a little bit bigger picture than than just kind of game by game I think you know as of right now we’re in a pretty good spot and um we’ll have uh bunch of these games here before Christmas and we’ll try to get some wins and um I’ll try to put the puck in the net myself too well you mentioned the tournament as a possible springboard and and obviously you never wish for injuries but the current Blue Line the situation there it affords you an opportunity doesn’t it to to reize that opportunity that you had last season yeah I mean obviously you you don’t want guys to get hurt and that’s I know firsthand how that’s like and it’s it’s tough as a player but um yeah I mean obviously there’s um you know opportunities and there’s you know guys are you know we have been doing it for a while now and we still have to kind of keep doing it filling filling some spots and filling some minutes and um you know I think I can you know kind of kind of get into that a little bit more and and start kind of uh helping the team a little bit more and play a little bit more in that sense and um yeah we’ll uh I’ll try to keep doing my best and and we’ll try to you know hang on for for as long as you know some guys are out and that’s just you know how it is and we’ll I know we’ll be fine and and once the guys are back then there’s you know more competition and that’s uh that’s a good thing for for a team who looking to win I it’s my last one cuz I know you’ve got to get going you’ve got to pack up and get ready to get on the road to Buffalo so I real quick one of your one of your good teammates last year and one of your really good friends last season on your previous team was JJ moer he moved on to a different team but you had this dinner club with former Countryman Matias melli that we thought might have got an invite to the four Nation face off unfortunately Matias not going and Michael Carone and JJ moer one to keep in touch with JJ and two is there a new iteration or is there a new group of this dinner Club on the road the important um I talked to MOS here and there yeah um definitely he’s some kind of a social media Guru these days or whatever he posting a lot more so I haven’t even really had to talk to him that much to keep up with my life or or his life um but uh yeah I talk to him here and there and um you know still definitely definitely miss him I got pretty close with him but uh that’s part of the business and uh as far as dinners goes um there kind of a new group it’s not as oh wow you know we had pretty we had it pretty tight it was always kind of the four of us now it’s uh expanded a little bit and there’re some different guys but um you know pretty pretty regularly I could in include uh you know Yugi or or k or Obie or um KY or Matti it’s it’s kind of like a six six people thing now up you know eight guys in there some are you know in and out here and there six kind of fits in I’ve uh I’ve been actually put on a pretty big responsibility to kind of book the dinners most of the times wow that’s press so um who’s picking the restaurants it is I usually get a restaurant from someone else and then know a guy who can get all the resos got it you got a guy course you got a guy you’re the guy with the connections okay so is this like a is this like a separate check kind of thing or is this get stuck just one guy get stuck this this this is lot to it but uh let’s just say there’s games involved there’s games involved yeah and people know it’s you know I I got a got a good agency who’s got some perks and um that gets the dinners done and um you know then uh every angle can you as far as the tricks go then you know that’s just all luck you know well youo I want to thank you so much I know you’re busy got a lot going on and I know this is a big honor we’re really proud of you here at the show I know the Utah hockey fans are extremely proud of you and only getting an opportunity to go play for your country we’ll be watching every step of the way during February until then we’ll be watching this Utah Hockey Club and we’ll keep an eye on big number four thanks for taking the time out today and hope we get a chance to talk to you again thanks yeah thanks guys of course thanks for having [Music] me we all sitting like the mayor
