May. 23/25 Memorial Cup Availability – Kasper Halttunen (London Knights)

Casper, just the excitement and how ready are you guys to go for game one of the Memorial Cup? Yeah, I mean, uh, you know, we’ve been waiting for this moment for, uh, for a long time since last year and, um, you know, the excitement’s there and, uh, we’re ready to go. For yourself, I mean, you come up big in the OL Championship Series. You had great success in the Memorial Cup last year. What is it about these big games that brings out the best in your game? Um, I don’t know. It’s just those big moments, bright lights, uh, you know, always being, you know, the reason why I played this game and, uh, you know, enjoying those, you know, uh, bright lights and, uh, you know, the pressure that comes with it. So, um, yeah, you know, it’s just something that, you know, clicks in my in my head and, um, you know, gives me an extra boost. This building, you know, low ceiling, steep seats, going to be jam-packed. Does it kind of, you know, remind you a little bit of back home a little bit? Yeah, I mean, looking at this now, it’s uh, you know, that there’s a lot of similarities, uh, you know, with European ranking. Uh, you know, I’m really excited to play play here. You know, at the start of the year, uh, you came back and I think San Jose told you after that injury to come back and play a rounded game, but then you didn’t score for a while. And I just wonder did your, as a goal scorer, did your did you wonder is this going to happen for me again? Because it certainly happened down the stretch, right? Yeah, I mean, you know, um, it’s hockey. Um, you know, in my case, I, you know, as he said, it was the goal was, you know, to become a better player overall. And, uh, you know, trying to focus on the things that, you know, I got to get better at. And, uh, I think I did a pretty good job with that. And, you know, I I I knew that the goal scoring was there. Everybody knew that it was it was there. You know, we we didn’t, you know, I mean, our our team won 55 games, so it didn’t really really matter. But um you know yeah I mean uh I I was pretty happy with my overall game there uh there and you know just got better every day. Okay. And yes Jesse Nurme said uh on the ice after you guys won that people in Finland will know that Casper won the MVP of the OHL playoffs. Did you did you get any reaction back home? Did people your friends and Yeah. know your family’s reaction in the crowd, right? Yeah, it was it was pretty cool. play. Uh my my phone kind of exploded, you know, with messages and everything after like people woke up back home. Um but yeah, it was really cool and you know to uh the next day having you know a lot of interviews from from Finland, a lot of calls and um you know it’s it’s it’s one thing that you know CHL is you know uh it’s becoming a bigger thing in in Europe too. MVP means a lot anywhere, but is it maybe something bigger? Like do you can you go back in your mind and remember all the Liga MVPs for your life kind of thing? Yeah, it it does mean a lot. Um, you know, I used to always always look up uh to those players that, you know, won the MVP awards and uh you know, the best players. So yeah, it’s something that probably I hope the little kids can, you know, look back someday and and uh be like, “Okay, like I want to I want to be like that someday, too.” You have a lot of great players, but when Denver Barky was out, it felt like something was missing from PP1. What What does he bring back to PP1 if he gets that chance uh tomorrow? Yeah, I I thought I thought we did a good good job. You know, we have a lot of guys who can step up in there. uh you know but obviously you know not having him in there it it does leave a mark and um now having him back it gives us you know more uh you know playmaking ability and um you know just the things that he does he he’s so good with the puck and sees the eyes so well. So um yeah it’s great to have him back. Does that extra second you know when guys like him and Kowan and Dickinson when they wait with the puck does that open you up a little more like when they you know when they pull the defender there for that last second? Yeah, I mean I’m just trying to be there uh in the right spot for them and uh you know I I trust them. They they know what they’re doing and they’re such a great players and you know they they know how to you know take care of the puck and give give me and others two pass good passes too. Finally the stage. Does this feel bigger than the OHL championship series or does everything feel really big? Uh it you know feels huge. Uh especially now you know it’s a national stage. Um there’s a lot lot more cameras, you know, media around and um you know, I feel like every everybody’s watching this and um you know, even people back home now, they’re you know, aware of this this tournament. Um yeah, I feel like of course, you know, playing in London, it’s it’s always huge and you have a lot of uh you know, pairs of eyes, you know, on you. So, um it Yeah, it’s great, but I feel like this is this is uh uh bigger.

London Knights forward and San Jose Sharks prospect Kasper Halttunen spoke with the media prior to their first game at the 2025 Memorial Cup in Rimouski, Quebec.

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