Now Maxime Fortier speaks - made a harsh revelation to IS.

The SaiPa season came to an end on Monday in a bitter way, and one of the most disappointed players was Maxime Fortier. The Canadian forward expressed his feelings directly after the match without any explanations.

– A heavy loss. We were in the fight to win until the end, and we played well enough to win this match, but unfortunately, things did not go the way we hoped, Fortier said to KooKoo after the overtime loss to IS.

Fortier refers to the fact that SaiPa was not the worse team, but at crucial moments, luck and successes were not enough. According to him, the team believed in their chances until the end.

– We had higher expectations for this season. We believed we could win this match and force the series to a seventh game, and go to the finals. Now it feels pretty bad.

The forward also pointed out that his own physical issues significantly affected the spring games.

– My back has been bothering me for a couple of months. It didn’t feel that bad at first, but it got worse towards the end of the season.

According to Fortier, the injuries were particularly evident in the movement and energy required by the game, which are key in SaiPa’s playing style.

– The combination of these affected me. And I’m not trying to make excuses. I should have been better, but I wasn’t at my best physically.

Although there were injuries, Fortier did not want to hide behind them, but took responsibility for his own level of play. The poor point total in the playoffs still bothers him.

– I am really disappointed. The Max you saw did not reflect how I can play. It feels bad for my teammates.

SaiPa’s season continues with the bronze match, but Fortier’s time in Lappeenranta is coming to an end. He is rumored to be moving to Jokerit for the next season.