Minnesota Wild Prospect Aron Kiviharju And Finland Setting The World Juniors Standard At The WJSS
Aaron, uh, Finland is rolling right now. I mean, you know, you didn’t play in the last game, but you do have a chance to play today. Wins against the US and Canada. I mean, how how excited are you to see the team performing in this way? I know it’s summer, but still the chance to to win some games against the US and Canada. Yeah, absolutely. It’s it’s great. We’re not I wouldn’t say that we’re used to this. Uh, usually it’s the it’s the opposite way that we’re losing and and and earning some earning some big lessons about about losing for them. But uh but right now we’re doing some very good job both getting the result and also like inside the game when we look at the video afterwards it’s it’s look like we’re we’re doing a lot of good stuff on the ice as a team as an individual and then as five guy unit working out there. So uh we’re doing really good right now. Yeah, it seems like you know you guys have definitely had the the work ethic and the different things that you kind of have to do. I mean even though it’s this time of year I mean it’s got to be nice to set that standard now and I’m sure this is something that you’re you’re hoping can carry over to December. Oh yeah, absolutely. I kind of the first game we had against I think it was US blue team. We were really good for first two periods but then we let that kind of like constant game drip away and uh we did not work as hard in the third period as we as we used to and we obviously lost that game just because of that bad third period. So that was like kind of bad 20 minutes. We did not work as hard as we can. So that was already kind of the lesson we had in the beginning of this tournament. So, we learned from our lessons and we’re doing as said, like we’re doing really good now on both on the game side and as on the work ethic side as well. And so, you know, you’ve been the leader of this group for the last couple of years and and now, you know, you’ve got a lot of new guys to kind of bring into the fold, guys that maybe weren’t part of the team last year that now have a chance do it. So, what’s it been like for for you kind of having had the experience from last year? here I know was a bit of a painful end, but you know just kind of the what are you able to kind of bring to the team as as the leader kind of in and setting the expectations and the standard? Well, kind of as you said, kind of show the standards for everyone. Let them know how we work in in this team in the every everyday routine. So whether it’s a practice or a game or we’re at the hotel or wherever that we’re going to keep those same principles wherever we are, we want to work really t as a really tight group all the time. And I said, wherever we are at the rink or at the hotel, we want to be a tight group. And that’s kind of the standard we need to set for also the for the younger ones coming from the under 18s, the 07 guys and the ones that were not on the team last year. So, uh, kind of just set the set the tone here and and then tell them how we work here and and and what’s the reason why we succeeded last year and then try to repeat that and and hunt for the goal. You know, one guy that wasn’t on the team last year but has really shown up here in in in the summer showcase is is at Kyvu, and he is scoring at will right now. I mean, what is it like to see I mean, you’re sending him a lot of those passes over to the to the left faceoff circle for him to to one time. I mean, it just seems like he’s on fire and how how important can he be if he’s playing that way for this team? He can be a differencemaker for sure. Uh obviously him last year when he was not on the team uh he had uh some uh some uh like worries on his like health side. I think he was u he was sick for over a month in a row. Has some kind of virus or something in his body. So that was one of the biggest reasons probably he was not on that team last year. But u having him here this year it’s it’s a huge thing for us. And as you said, what does he have like six goals already so far? It’s he’s showing that he’s his confidence is very high right now. and and and me as a captain and and we as as other players just try to pump his tires and make sure that he stays hot night after night and and just kind of tell him to go with the flow. He’s a he’s obviously he’s a great hockey player and a great guy on and off the ice. So, I just try to tell him that just go with the flow and and play that game that you’re good at. So, as you can tell, the result has been really good so far. And for for yourself now, how much does this playing in this event help you set up for the rest of the season? You’re going to have to go home, go right into training camp. you know, get ready. But do you think that playing at this high a level is going to allow you to maybe hit the ground running for next season as well? Absolutely. These games that we play here are pro probably the best games in the world at at this moment because there are so many a lot of good individuals and and then when you put all these individuals into a team into a national team you can just see that those teams are phenomenal and and uh and the intensity that we have in those games playing against Canada, Sweden, US, whichever the team is, it’s it’s it’s a really high level game and it definitely helps us uh including me and all of the other Finnish guys to get back to the to the Finnish elite league and and try to try to get a get a spot they’re in the roster. So, it definitely helps a lot. And last thing for me is what are some of your goals for this season beyond the World Juniors and and what do you want to do in LIA this year and and the kind of things that you want to try to grow in your game? Well, kind of I felt the last year went went really good for me uh in league and then in the world under 20s in Ottawa. But I I kind of feel that right now I I want to do the real breakthrough kind of take the step to be the in in top two pair pair in our team be top one top 2D in in our team back in HFK in Helsinki and uh and then obviously take a take a big big role spot in the world under 20’s team coming back to Mini Mini for Christmas here. So those were probably the two biggest goals and then obviously stay healthy.
Minnesota Wild prospect Aron Kiviharju is happy with how Team Finland is coming together to results at the World Junior Summer Showcase and how Aatos Koivu (MTL) has performed.
#WJSS #Hockey #Suomi #mnwild #WorldJuniors #WJC #Liiga
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