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lil · 08-17-2015, 03:35 AM

The small house at the end of a quiet street in Jyväskylä, Finland is unassuming: a tile roof, a couple bikes parked outside, weeds poking up through the pavement. If not for the black scuffmarks dotting the brick facade by the front door, you’d never know that not one, not two, but three hockey stars live here.

If you followed Finnish hockey in the 90s, you know Jarmo Mäkinen, JYP’s reliable goaltender for the better part of the decade. If you follow Finnish women’s hockey now, you know his daughter, Riikka, 22, a top-pairing defenseman for the women’s national team. But if you follow hockey at all, you’ll soon know the name of his son and her brother, Mainio, part of the latest SMJHL draft class.

The subject of our interview is in the sauna when we arrive, so we share a cup of coffee with his mother and sister. “I’m glad to have him finally out of my hair,” says Riikka lightly, when asked of her opinion on her brother’s recent draft selection (21st overall, to the Kelowna Knights). “He’s always trying to tag along with my friends, to bother them...you know little brothers.”

Kaija (the only non-hockey playing resident of this house, though she must be the biggest hockey fan in Finland), tuts at her daughter. “We’re all very proud of Mainio, of course. We’ll be sad to see him go so far away, but it’s his dream.”

Riikka is called away before long, to training of her own, but Kaija is happy to entertain with tales of her hockey-phenom children. “When they were too little for real teams, they would play one-on-one in the driveway and in the backyard for hours and hours, every day,” she says with a fond smile. “As soon as Mainio could stand on his own, Riikka was pushing a hockey stick into his hands. Her being five years older meant it was never really fair, but that never discouraged him--it just made him work harder. Any time she went out shopping or to a party, he practiced the whole time she was gone, just so he could tease her about it later. They made each other as good as they are.”

Mainio appears, then, and the youngest face of Finnish hockey is unassuming: clear-eyed, perennially smiling, and rather small and slight for his chosen profession. Even when his mother leaves, he remains exceptionally polite, as well as optimistic about his draft. “I knew before that wherever I went was going to be a long way from home, and it will take me some time to get used to their system,” he says philosophically, “but the guys from Kelowna seem really great. Lots of them have already gone out of their way to make me feel welcome. Randy Randleman and Jonathan Lundberg called me the night of the draft to say hello.”

And welcome he is. Despite the relatively low number overall, Mainio was Kelowna’s second pick in the draft, and their first true rookie selection. When asked if he is disappointed about not going in the first two rounds, he is quick to stifle any notion of ego: “Not at all. Why should anyone have chosen me that early? I’m not well known over there.” But then he grins, and adds, “At least, not yet.”

This, perhaps, is the first flash of the player nicknamed “The Maniac”: he tells a funny story about an announcer with a poor grasp of Finnish pronunciation and snarky teammates, but the highlight reel suggests a different, equally valid origin. The SM-Liiga’s Rookie of the Year picked up an impressive number of goals last season, many of which involved mind-bending dekes and blindingly fast stickhandles that have a sympathetic observer weeping for the opposing goalies and defenders.

But despite his achievements, Mainio is frank and humble when asked about his strengths and weaknesses. “I’m never going to be a power forward, a big guy who battles in corners for the puck,” he admits. “But if my teammates get the puck to me, I can get it in the net.” What he doesn’t say is that he led all SM-Liiga rookies in takeaways last season: his small size and excellent skating and puck handling abilities mean he is adept at darting in and stripping opposing teams of the puck.

It’s not only on the ice that Mainio shines. He’s an excellent student, despite having to do much of his schooling over the internet, and he’s got his hobbies, too. “I try to stay well-rounded,” he says. “My family owns a summer cabin and I like to go out there and do woodworking during the offseason, in between training of course.” He gestures at the coffee table. “I made that last summer.”

The table in question looks completely professional, with an intricate pattern of different types of inlaid wood. When questioned further about his unusual interest, Mainio shrugs. “When we go to our cabin, we all like to disconnect for a few weeks. We don’t use our phones unless there’s an emergency. I think there’s a landline? I can’t speak for the rest of my family, but for me, doing something with my hands and getting away from the noise and the rush for a while, it helps me relax and keep my focus on hockey for the rest of the year.”

This focus leads to a calm disposition, something Mainio’s coaches and teammates remark on frequently. Over the phone, Mainio’s former head coach, Marko Virtanen, tells us, “Mainio’s one of the loosest guys on the team, particularly when you think of how good he is. A lot of really talented young players are so serious, but that’s not Mainio. Even before big games, he is trying to get others to relax, joking around in the locker room. He’s not a clown, or a loud, attention-grabbing kind person. His play does that for him. It’s just that he’s always smiling, especially on the ice. And in the gym, too! I’d never seen a kid smile and lift weights at the same time, but maybe that’s why they call him crazy.”

Perhaps the only area where he’s not totally loose and laid-back is his pre-game superstitions. Mainio admits he has several. “For me it’s about, if I eat the same thing and tape my stick the same way, I don’t have anything to blame but myself if I play poorly.” He won’t share the details of most of his rituals, but he does admit to dancing around the locker room to American top 40 pop before games. “The more cheesy, the better. I love it all. It makes me happy and it makes my teammates laugh at me--they complain and try to steal my phone, but it gets their mind off being nervous about the game. It helps the team, so I don’t mind looking stupid.”

Mainio is quick to point out that he’s a team first player. “My goal for my rookie season is of course to help Kelowna to the Four Star Cup, and I’ll do whatever it takes,” he says firmly. “I’m going to get to know the team and their system, and then work hard on and off the ice to show that I deserve a place on it.” When pressed for an individual ambition (crack the top six? score lots of goals? improve in a certain area?), he demurs. “The best thing I can do for myself as a player is to help my team.”

The next thing he must do to help his team is move to Kelowna, and that’s what Mainio is in the process of doing right now. He flew to North America for the draft, but came back home to Jyväskylä to pack and say his goodbyes. Tomorrow, he’s due to get on another plane, this time to join the Knights for good. When asked what he will miss most about Finland, Mainio laughs. “It’s probably a stereotype, but my mother’s cooking. I don’t have any idea how to make food for myself, so I guess that’s something I’ll have to learn through trial and error. Mostly error, I’m sure.”

But aside from the trials of feeding himself and finding his footing on a new team and in a new culture, the ever-smiling Mainio is confident about his future. “I’m nervous, of course, but I’m not afraid. If I know anything, it’s how to play hockey.”

Quote:words: 1410

vbottas17 · 08-17-2015, 04:12 AM

Great article!

Dangles13 · 08-17-2015, 10:01 AM

Awesome story and an even better table.

Alucard · 08-17-2015, 10:15 AM

Nice work! Knights

**Rich** · 08-17-2015, 11:08 AM

lil · 08-17-2015, 12:04 PM

Thanks everybody! And yeah, Dangles, isn't that sick? Too cool not to include.

***Ohtaay*** · 08-17-2015, 12:17 PM

Jedi · 08-17-2015, 12:37 PM

Alucard,Apr 14 2016, 03:33 PM Wrote:May the harvest be with you, young spud.

enigmatic,Aug 26 2016, 10:05 AM Wrote:Jedi could have 1 TPE and still improve any team

First ever Norwegian IIHF Goal!!

Code:
2. Team Norway , Jackson Rodgers-Tanaka 1 (Isabella Esparza-Osvaldson, Aleksander Andrezjeck) at 5:50

Special Thanks to Count Chocula for the Hugo G sig <3

Ballerstorm · 08-17-2015, 12:44 PM

Welcome to to the team buddy. You've got a bright future if you keep these up.

lil · 08-17-2015, 12:58 PM

Quote:Originally posted by Jedi+Aug 17 2015, 11:37 AM--><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1' id='QUOTE-WRAP'><tr><td>QUOTE (Jedi @ Aug 17 2015, 11:37 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'>[/b]

<!--QuoteBegin-Ballerstorm@Aug 17 2015, 11:44 AM
Welcome to to the team buddy. You've got a bright future if you keep these up.[/quote]

That's the plan! Knights

Kel · 08-17-2015, 01:26 PM

You're going to be a Finnish legend.

Knights

lil · 08-17-2015, 02:18 PM

Quote:Originally posted by Kel@Aug 17 2015, 12:26 PM
You're going to be a Finnish legend.

Thank you, that is also the plan B) Knights

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