FEL Finland 2008-09

[nixu]

Better clip http://www.nelonen.fi/smliiga/videot...oId=3154&cat=0

[Vasara]

KalPa has signed Toni Mäkiaho for the rest of this season. Mäkiaho has over 20 fights in the Finnish league and has collected more than 1,200 penalty minutes in 553 regular season games. Too bad he has changed his playing style so he probably won't fight anymore.

[Juha82]

I think Makiaho owns a hot temperament again but it's true that he has changed his style.
More points, less penalties.
Also hes a very good leader.
Great thing when "Makkari" did a comeback to our league.(:

[KordicNilanRoberge]

Same line opinion for Makiaho and nice to see play FEL again. Hot temperament guy, who scored goals too and tackled hard. Changed lot of his old time style, lesser penalties much. Great leader by locker room and pench too. Welcome FEL "Makkari"

[Vasara]

Lukko has signed defensman Doug Nolan to a 3-game try-out. He will play against HIFK, SaiPa and Jokerit.

[dave chappelle]

Originally Posted by Vasara

Lukko has signed defensman Doug Nolan to a 3-game try-out. He will play against HIFK, SaiPa and Jokerit.

He had 22 FM's with AHL's Manchester Monarchs in three seasons between 2004-2007. He even fought Grenier, Orr and Pete Vandermeer Teams that he will be facing during his try out have pretty much the toughest "fighters" in FEL(Brennan, Helenius, Nielikäinen, Pulkki, Virtanen). Lets hope he makes the team

[Podollan]

I made some research about him when my team needed a physical defenseman.
He had fought some tough guys but he isnt a good fighter and usually goes for the take down.
He isnt a contest for Helenius or Brennan but not a bad guy for an european league. Good teammate, decent defender.

[frontlineads]

I love SM-Liiga hockey, but they need to stop with the automatic gamer for getting into a fight. The fans obviously love it, so I'm unsure why they have such tight restrictions. Despite that it's good to see that a few tough guys can squeeze onto some of the teams.

[Vasara]

Originally Posted by frontlineads

I love SM-Liiga hockey, but they need to stop with the automatic gamer for getting into a fight. The fans obviously love it, so I'm unsure why they have such tight restrictions.

Here in Finland we have a huge amount of politicians and other people who have nothing to do with hockey and who know nothing about it. And sometimes when one of the fights gets too much publicity these kind of people step in and start accusing hockey for being bad example for children and other stupid things. And the government of SM-liiga and Finnish Ice Hockey Federation are afraid of these people and bad publicity. Then we also have former NHL-coach Alpo Suhonen who is always whining about fights in publicity and those people listen to him. In last three years we've had two big debates about violence in hockey in the Finnish parliament. The first one was the line brawl between HIFK and Lukko in the 2004-2005 playoffs. The other one was after the Nielikäinen-VandenBussche fight in the beginning of the 2006-2007 regular season. There was also a police crime investigation concerning both of the events. And everytime this happens the League will give more strict suspension to fighters and/or they fine their teams.

And when players get thrown out and sometimes suspended for fighting the league can say they don't allow fighting.

[Vasara]

Matt Nickerson and Kari Sihvonen have just fought in the Ilves-Pelicans game. Both fighters got a Match Penalty, which will give them automatic suspensions.

[Vasara]

And Here's a video of the Nickerson-Sihvonen fight.

[Vasara]

Originally Posted by Vasara

Lukko has signed defensman Doug Nolan to a 3-game try-out. He will play against HIFK, SaiPa and Jokerit.

Nolan's tryout was unsuccesful. He is replaced by Jeff Jillson who was signed by Lukko for the rest of the season

[dave chappelle]

Originally Posted by Vasara

Nolan's tryout was unsuccesful. He is replaced by Jeff Jillson who was signed by Lukko for the rest of the season

BOO! Jillson is definitely better player but still he seems to be softer than Nolan!

[Vasara]

Lukko has loaned Anssi Rantanen (188/99) from Mestis team Hokki. The loan spell ends at the end of the year. Rantanen is a big physical defensman who is able to drop the gloves. He is one of the toughest guys in Mestis and in this season he has fought with Luke Sellars of Jokipojat.

[Vasara]

In todays HIFK-HPK game there was a brawl with two fights. Jani Honkanen (HIFK) vs Janne Kolehmainen (HPK) and Lennart Petrell (HIFK) vs Joonas Vihko (HPK). Honkanen, Kolehmainen and Vihko got a game misconduct but Petrell got a match penalty so I guess he started the whole thing.

EDIT: And Here's a video