WORLD CUP OF HOCKEY

September 15, 2016

Jere Lehtinen

Lauri Marjamaki

JERE LEHTINEN: Very nice to be here finally, three exhibition games done, and the team is pretty much ready to sit over here. Getting ready for Sunday's game, first game for us, and overall the team is healthy. Of course cross fingers, but it looks good, and fortunate everybody is kind of this time healthy, and we're ready to go. Now Lauri Marjamaki has a couple of words, too.

LAURI MARJAMAKI: Okay, good to be here. We are so excited about this tournament. Our preparation has gone well so far. I feel confident. We have a good team. These three exhibition games gave us good important feedback, and we understand that we are not among the favorites in this tournament, but we have a good chance to succeed. Our style of play and discipline are main strengths for us, and of course our young players of the future bring us positive energy to the team. But I feel good, and we are ready on Sunday.

Q. How important were the games against Sweden to get up to full speed quickly in terms of your preparation?

LAURI MARJAMAKI: Well, I think that every experience are important for our development, and we know that Team Sweden are a quality team. First game we take a victory from them, and last one they were better. I think that last game against USA is so important for us because we traveled on Sunday, and it is not easy situation to prepare for that game.

But every experience are important, and I think that we are on time with our process.

Q. Yesterday and late in the game against Team USA you were skating a line that Barkov with Aho and Laine, two guys who have never played an NHL game and one guy who's 21. You talk about the youth on that team. Why do you like that line, and if it sticks, why do you think that line can be successful in a tournament like this?

LAURI MARJAMAKI: Of course we are happy that we have that kind of players on our team. I think that we find some new elements for our offensive game, and of course for example, Laine and Aho are going to play their first games in an NHL rink, but I think they are so good that they can learn how to play in this rink. And for example, that Laine, he played his best game against USA, and it is his third game in this rink.

Q. Have you decided on a goalie against Team North America?

LAURI MARJAMAKI: No, we will see on Sunday our roster.

Q. Do you mind just going through the process and how you're going to deal with the goaltenders, having two world-class goalies, how you're going to work with that dynamic?

LAURI MARJAMAKI: Of course. We're talking a lot with our goalies, and they know their role, and we have two good goalies in Rinne and Rask, and both of them, it doesn't matter who we're going to put in. We trust our goalies, and they know the situation.

Q. Can you just talk a little bit about which players you're going to be relying on the most? Is it going to be someone like Mikko, the captain, your veteran players, or do you see Patrik Laine coming in, and your young stars really showcasing their talents for this tournament? And could you answer in Finnish, please?

LAURI MARJAMAKI: First of all, of course English, we have good experienced players, like Koivu, Filppula, Jokinen, but we have a good mix of young talented players. For example, our defense, they play so fearless and open-minded game.

Q. Lauri, what opinion do you have about Team Russia, especially after last game in World Championship in Moscow and the exhibition games?

LAURI MARJAMAKI: Of course Team Russia are a quality team. From what I saw yesterday, they played such a great game against Canada. If you asked last spring in World Champs, that semifinal against Finland, it is so different style of play, European rink than NHL rink. Everybody understands that.

But of course, I think that we played last spring better in tactically, and our team commitment was better than Russia, but they have so great players that it is a good team. Of course that last game we're going to play against Russia, and it will be a tough game.

Q. Do you feel like playing on the NHL ice is actually a benefit to the way you play your team game tactically? It seems like you guys can grind out games better on this ice than maybe the big ice internationally.

LAURI MARJAMAKI: I think that most important thing and a little bit different than European style is offensive game. I think that this is so small that we can play D-to-D at the center, for example, and that kind of game. I think the defensive game is not so different than European style.

JERE LEHTINEN: Yeah, overall, our guys, we have a lot of young kids, even starting players here, their kind of hockey sense and the quickness, how they play, I think it's going to be a benefit to those players and how we play here, so it's pretty exciting to see how they do.

I think it's going to be a good team because the experienced guys, they've been around here, and they're going to help those younger players.

Q. Back to that line I was talking about with Barkov, Aho and Laine, is there any benefit to having three guys that young, that close in age, to get chemistry in a tournament like this?

LAURI MARJAMAKI: Of course. I think so. These talented guys learn so fast, and that Laine and Aho played together same linemates in under-20 champions, and Barkov was a so great center that I think he can use Laine and Aho's strengths.

Q. Just wondering what your initial impressions are of team North America and what the biggest challenges will be facing that young team.

LAURI MARJAMAKI: Of course I think it was great that we played that last exhibition game against Team USA because I think that youngsters is very similar to Team USA, and it is important experience for us. Of course what I saw yesterday against Czech Republic, they are so fast, they're playing so good forechecking, but of course Czech also gets a couple of 2-on-1, 3-on-2, that kind of situations, counterattack. But it's going to be a huge game, and we are ready for it on Sunday.

Q. You also mentioned that you didn't feel maybe like Finland was among the top favorites here. How do you see the tournament setting up in terms of the teams you're taking aim at and where you fit in in this eight-team field?

LAURI MARJAMAKI: Of course I think that we have a good chance to succeed in every tournament. Of course I think that many games in this tournament are coming one-goal game and every game is important and you have to play so disciplined and team commitment has to be great, and I think we have these kind of strengths, and everybody knows what it means.