Mikko Lehtonen, is the level enough if you face McDavid and MacKinnon?

MILANO. Mikko Lehtonen was the first player from the Lions on Olympic ice.

At the time when the rest of the team had not yet arrived at the competition venue, Lehtonen was already sketching skating patterns on the ice on Saturday.

After the practice, SuomiKiekko interviewed Lehtonen, who is the only player on the team earning his living in Europe.

What kind of role have they envisioned for you?

– Probably something similar to what I have presented before. Of course, we have a wide, good team. In that respect, there are many responsible players, but I’m sure there will be a good role for me, Lehtonen said.

According to the rules, you could not be selected for the 4 Nations tournament. What did you think of the tournament?

– Interesting games, as NHL players have not been in the Olympics for the last couple of times. It was great to see. There is a lot of skill on the ice and speed.

How does your level hold up against Connor McDavid and Nathan MacKinnon?

– Of course, they are the best players in the world, but you always have to have confidence in yourself. They eat the same porridge, even though they have a lot of skill and speed. You just have to play smart against them.

– Surely every guy will be in a hurry against them in this tournament. I don’t think it will be a problem.

How does the team aim to avoid the norovirus?

– We will probably take care of hygiene and try to be smart about it. Of course, the staff has done a good job in the Olympic village, trying to disinfect everything as well as possible. Now we have of course stayed away from shared facilities.

– We will probably ensure that everything is cleaned well in the future. The most important thing is to take care of hygiene; there isn’t really much else you can do.

Finland will face the host country Italy in the group stage, coached by Jukka Jalonen. What do you think of Jalonen?

– He is a great coach. Honest, straightforward. He always says if there is something to correct. I respect him a lot. He is really good at coaching team play.

Jaakko Perttilä
X: @JaakkoPerttila