FINNISH BROTHERS: Koivu, Kapanen, Ruutu, Jokinen?
The Finnish team will be interesting to watch this year, as 4 sets of brothers should fill the 13 forward positions; but Jussi Jokinen was not named to the roster and only 3 sets of brothers are currently slated to compete… Saku/ Mikko Koivu, Tuomo/ Jarkko Ruutu and Sami/ Niko Kapanen.
As Ollie Jokinen’s brother Jussi has lead the Dallas stars to a perfect record in shoot-outs (and on pace to score 52 points in his rookie season), the Finnish hockey brass should add the rookie to their ranks.
The Fins may be the team to watch in this year’s Olympics; if there is good chemistry between the brothers, they may be the darkhorse of the tournament. That said, Kiprusoff opted out of the Fins’ roster to nurse a hip injury, so the team’s fate lies in the hands of rookie Kari Lehtonen, the defensive backbone of the Atlanta Thrashers.
As international tournaments are often busts in terms of competitive atmosphere as players are financially obligated to reserve their best efforts [and health] for the organization that pays their bills, the Finnish team will likely boost the entertainment value.