Sami Päivärinta was about to go on leave when he received a surprise call from Leijonat.

ZÜRICH. Sami Päivärinta, 22, is a star player at the league level, but to the general public, he is one of the lesser-known names on the Leijonat team. In the World Championships, he has received media attention mainly for his travel experiences.

First, Päivärinta flew to Zürich as part of the Finnish team. His competition passport was not stamped, and Päivärinta flew back to Finland. On Thursday, Eemil Erholtz got injured, and Päivärinta was needed again.

– I went to Finland on Wednesday morning, in the evening to Somero, yesterday roller hockey games in Somero, and then I got a call to come back. We drove to Hämeenlinna and took the morning flight here, Päivärinta recounts his recent travels.

On Friday, Päivärinta arrived at the Leijonat hotel in the morning. He didn’t even have time to go to his room before he had to jump on the bus and go to the morning ice practice.

While in Finland, Päivärinta had already managed to take some time off.

– Roller hockey with friends, I was at my parents’ place in Somero and was also supposed to play golf today with Kukkonen Miska, but I had to call Miska to say that I can’t make it now.

The large hockey audience may not yet know Päivärinta well, but in his hometown of Somero, the man has sparked a hockey craze. In the small town of just over 8000 residents in Varsinais-Suomi, the journey of the local boy to the championships is closely followed.

– I have heard through my parents that many are following. I like to keep track of what is happening and send a few messages, but I don’t know much more from here.

Päivärinta’s name is worth remembering beyond Somero as well. The 22-year-old center has risen to star status in the league this season, scoring 41 points in 56 games with HPK. He also performed brilliantly at the national team camp, tallying 1+4 points in seven games.