Ice hockey | Teemu Selänne has to give up his beloved favorite child – the ten-year-old boy’s words seal the decision

Where Teemu Selännethere are usually dozens of children there as well.

To a large extent, this has been the spirit of the game at the camps organized by hockey legend Sotkamo in Vuokatti, where 160–200 junior players from different parts of Finland have participated each year.

The juniors (ages 7–13) selected based on the applications have obviously become aware of the achievements of Selänte, 53, and have followed him on the ice as if glued.

However, an incident happened at the June 2023 camp that confused even Selänte.

“A ten-year-old boy skated over to me during one of the training sessions and asked if you had played in any teams,” Selänne recalls with a laugh.

Surprisingly, the junior player of the new generation was not at all aware of the star’s sea antics.

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A ten-year-old boy skated over to me during one of the training sessions and asked if you had played in any teams.

“It was a fun and important moment, only a positive one,” Selänne underlines.

“It partly confirmed my understanding that the time had come to package this camp story.”

Back the ice hockey camp named after is organized during Midsummer in Vuokatti for the 30th time. The camp will be the last.

“The mood is already wistful beforehand.”

Selänne considers the camp organizers to have been ahead of their time.

“Long before others, we focused our camp’s charitable income on supporting needy families and young people suffering from mental health problems – and these are now important topics of conversation even on the Finnish side,” he emphasizes.

Solid In addition to Selänte, ex-hockey stars have also been actively building the established charity event Markus Ketterer, Walter Immonen and Keijo Säilynoja and active players, for example Valtteri Filppula.

“Everyone has been involved in the work spirit, and that has also played an important role in building the atmosphere,” says Selänne.

At the center of the arrangements have been the powerful figures of Finnish Flash ry Minna Korpela and Kirsi Kavanne. The association has also organized many other charity events, including golf.

“At Teemu’s ladle camp, the men have focused on running the camp exercises, while Kirsi and I have taken care of everything else,” says Korpela.

“The starting point for everything has been that every camper feels important and that everyone’s safety is invested in. Teemu’s camp has been more of an experience camp than a traditional puck camp,” Kavanne continues.

The division of labor has been obviously necessary.

“Yes, maybe the schedules wouldn’t work otherwise. Namely, it’s sometimes annoying when “mösjöö” (Selänne) is late or otherwise simply unreachable,” the two say with a laugh.

In Kainuu the continuously organized camp has not been separately advertised, but still, according to the duo, several hundred applications have been received every year.

“Unfortunately, not everyone who wanted to was able to join. In the selections, it has always been emphasized that juniors from different starting points and living in different parts of the country can participate. So the choices have not been made so much on the basis of basic skills”, underlines Korpela.

“Teemu’s charisma still carries, and that is a significant reason for the longevity of the camp. For us camp organizers, this is like a joint family event,” adds Kavanne.

The legendary guardian of the lions’ past years Erkki “Neka” Haapanen was a constant face of the camp before he passed away in 2018. The musician was equally active Pave Maijanenwho slept off 2021.

“Pave entertained the campers with his music, but he also worked as a goalkeeper coach at some camps,” explains Korpela.

Game-wise the most successful career among the Selänte puck campers has been made by the current superstar of the Colorado NHL team Mikko Rantanen. Maestro himself still remembers Rantanen’s camp visit.

“It’s great that some of the juniors who visited my camp have later matured into professional players, such as Miko Rantanen. Our camp has had nothing to do with this issue, but at least we have encouraged everyone to move forward equally,” says Selänne.

“I really like working as a camp director. It’s enjoyable because in that role you get to see the genuine enthusiasm of children and young people up close. On that side, I have often felt myself getting younger to the level of a little boy.”

The 2007 Stanley Cup winner speaks passionately about the growth processes of people and sees this as the core mission of his name camp.

“Hockey, at its best, develops the mental side of both the hobbyist and the hobbyist. Only a few juniors ever grow into professionals, and that’s why lätki’s primary task is to raise different individuals for society,” he sees.

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Only a few juniors ever grow into professionals, and that is why lätki’s primary task is to raise different individuals for society.

“The camp is really dear to me because I can feel the presence of children and young people. It’s incredibly annoying that, in general, people’s social interaction has fallen to the margins due to mobile phones – and of course that has its effect.”

Selänne believes that the NHL’s traditional “dinner culture” of the past years has helped hockey players find real friends and support.

“At that time, NHL players were regularly mentally present for each other, and that had a constructive effect on team spirit as well,” Selänne says.

“But now that culture has also gone. It’s quite shocking, downright pathetic, that now players order their food from hotel room services and focus on browsing their mobile phones.”

In the lion among other things, according to Selänte, who achieved Olympic silver, the mental health theme did not become a charity target of the camp by chance.

“I think it has been clear for a long time that there is a big bomb brewing in Finland in terms of mental health. Unfortunately, there is an ugly result,” Selänne suspects.

“And you can’t get away from this problem in hockey either. It’s great that some of the top players have already opened up about their problems. Everyone should have the right to speak and receive support.”

NHL hockey players, among others, have spoken or referred to their mental health challenges Patrick Laine and the keeper of the Lions’ two previous World Cups Emil Larmi and SM league hockey players Aleksi Elorinne, Taavi Vartiainen, Miska Siikonen and Niko Hovinen.

Something similar would hardly have been heard of five years ago. No, even though, according to an international study, elite sports expose you to depression, anxiety and exhaustion.

“In ice hockey, or in sports in general, showing so-called weaknesses is not a good idea,” Selänne knows.

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In sports, showing so-called weaknesses is not something that is easy to do.

An ice hockey player experiences great pressure from his club, teammates, coaches, media and supporters. At the same time, a professional player should take care of his family and relationship.

“Lätkä’s mental health challenges are not new. In the past, we haven’t dared to talk about them, because there has been a wonderful macho culture in the lake,” says Selänne.

“Those who have spoken about their mental difficulties have been looked at in a crooked way in the booth. This has of course been stupid, but it is not easy to change things in a culture where wearing long kilts in winter frosts is considered a weakness.”

Yelling has also been heard by Selänne herself. He refers especially to the early years of the 1990s, when he played puck for the Helsinki Jokers and worked at a kindergarten at the same time.

“There was a lot of “shit”. I heard a lot of different screams. Sometimes the shouters thought I was a virginal clown, sometimes something else similar,” he recalls.

“Fortunately, the puddle world has also developed in this sense in recent years.”

According to Selänte, it would be important to find ways in advance to solve the problems that many hockey players who have finished their careers face. When some of them can’t find meaningful and passionate things to do, they become depressed and start to use different substances easily.

“Divorces of hockey players who have finished their careers are also typical. The differences make it even more difficult to adapt to the new everyday life,” says Selänne.

“The most important thing would be that no one feels alone.”

Togetherness importance Selänne plans to emphasize again with his own name camp, which started the weekend before Midsummer.

On Saturday, the program included the 30th anniversary celebrations, with various memories and an entertainment number. After that, the main focus is on the camp itself.

“Vuokatti has been the most excellent place to organize the camp, a true exercise paradise. We have always been blessed with great conditions”, praises Selänne, who actively plays golf in her vacations.

“I already feel a little like Kainu, because I have spent up to 22 midsummers with my family in Vuokatti.”

Lately Selänne says that he played tennis hard, and often aimed specifically at the top in the sport Veera– with his daughter (born 2007).

“We often have really even matches with Veera”, he explains.

“I would like to give more of myself even on the ice. I’m getting my knee properly in shape, and maybe after that I’ll find speed again on the ice as well.”

In Selänte’s everyday life, who is already thinking about filming the next production season of the Top Gear program, bench sports always have their own important place. He has followed the NHL spring playoffs closely.

“The world is now playing a wildly versatile and fast-paced game. Unfortunately, Finland seems to have fallen behind the other top countries in terms of games. For example, our situational speed and toughness are not enough at the moment, and I am worried about that,” says Selänne.

“There is no doubt that in Suomi-lätkä you have to wake up to reality.”

When he leaves for his last hockey camp, the legend plans to give it his all.

“When at some point in the camp I realize that everything will end soon, crying is certainly not far away,” he sums up.

“This has been an epic journey that I can always feel proud of.”