With the 2022/23 Champions Hockey League Final just two weeks away, it’s the perfect time to put forward a few star players to look out for during the big night. Here are some of the best Luleå Hockey and Tappara Tampere players head-to-head!
Being able to see the ice and find your teammates is a skill that can lead to great things on the ice and these two players have been showcasing it all season long for their respective organisations.
Luleå’s Juhani Tyrväinen and Tappara’s Jori Lehterä have each registered nine helpers this season, with Tyrväinen hitting that mark in two fewer games.
Lehterä, a former NHLer, also has two goals to give him 11 points so far this season and positions him second on the team in scoring. The 35-year-old Finn is playing in his first CHL season and his 0.92 points per game average has him above veterans of the competition, including one of last year’s top scorers Kristian Kuusela.
Juhani Tyrväinen, meanwhile, has four years of CHL experience and has compiled eight goals and 20 assists for 28 points in 33 contests and a respectable point per game average of 0.85. The 181 cm, 87 kg forward has already surpassed his career year from 2019/20 when he managed seven points (2G, 5A) in 11 games played. Tyrväinen’s 13 points have him in third place CHL-wide behind only Brian O'Neill and Ryan Lasch.
While Tyrväinen and Lehterä have played playmaker, these snipers are putting the puck in the back of the net with ease. Brendan Shinnimin, Isac Brännström, and Niko Ojamäki top their respective clubs in goals and are more than capable of adding to their total come the Final.
Shinnimin is tied for third among Luleå’s forwards in points but his seven tucks lead the team while Brännström, who's second in scoring with ten points, has registered six tallies so far. In their last match against Frölunda Gothenburg, Shinnimin scored the game-winner in the shootout to keep the Swedes’ season alive.
27-year-old Ojamäki also boasts a few years of CHL experience. The winger is playing in his fourth campaign – all with Tappara – and has compiled 25 points (15G, 10A) in 36 contests. His best season came back in 2018/19 when he netted four goals and assisted on two others for six points in eight games. Ojamäki has shattered those numbers this year and doubled his point total as he’s been one of Tappara’s most consistent scorers with seven markers.
On the backend, Valtteri Kemiläinen leads all Tappara defencemen in scoring with three goals and three assists through ten games while Julius Honka (3 – 4 – 7, in 11 games) and Jesper Sellgren (1 – 6 – 7, in 11 games) have been contributing from the blueline for Luleå.
Kemiläinen, who won the CHL with Rögle Ängelholm last season, has suited up for eight CHL campaigns where he’s notched eight goals and 16 assists for 24 points in 53 games. 24-year-old Sellgren is competing in his second iteration and has been consistent in both seasons with two goals and 14 helpers for 16 points in 21 contests.
Rounding out this trio of top defenders is Honka, who at 181cm, 84kg has the ability to hold on to the puck and make plays as evidenced by his three markers and four assists through 11 games.
Looking ahead to the Final, both organisations have standout talent that will look to help their club hoist the European Trophy and the crown of European Champions!
Tappara Tampere and Luleå Hockey will face each other in the ultimate one-game CHL Final in Luleå, Sweden on 18 February 2023 at 16:20 CET.