QA with Arsi Piispanen
the top-ranked Finnish skater for this summers draft according to Central
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Scouting, who currently rank him 20th among European eligibles. The big, skilled
Piispanen, who plays for the Jokerit juniors, turned heads at the recent Under-18
Five Nations Tournament. McKeens correspondent Robert Neuhauser caught
up with Arsi in the Czech Republic.
McKeens: When did you start playing hockey?
Arsi Piispanen: I was five years old when I started playing hockey.
McKeens: Who brought you to the game?
AP: This was definitely my father. He worked for the Finnish
Ice Hockey Federation and he was the force which made me play the game.
McKeens: What was your first team?
AP: My first team was Jyp Jyvaskyla, my hometown team.
McKeens: So when did you move to Jokerit Helsinki?
AP: That happened when I was 12 years old. My father got a good
job in Helsinki so the whole family moved to Helsinki. And because I wanted
to continue playing hockey, I joined the system of Jokerit Helsinki.
McKeens: Did you always play forward?
AP: Yeah, I did. I like this position.
McKeens: Do you do any other sports than hockey?
AP: I like to do many sports, not just one, sport means fun for
me.
McKeens: Who is your hockey role model?
AP: I really admire Pittsburgh Penguins' Mario Lemieux. He is
such a great player, amazing.
McKeens: Do you have a favorite NHL team?
AP: No, not really. I don't have an exact team I would cheer
for.
McKeens: Do you have a nickname?
AP: Yeah, my friends call me 'Piispa'. It's from my surname,
of course.
McKeens: Do you have a favorite number you like to wear on your
jersey?
AP: No, I think it doesn't matter which number I wear on my jersey.
McKeens: Do you have any exact order of things you do before
each game?
AP: No, I'm not very superstitious.
McKeens: What is the biggest success of your career so far?
AP: I would say the biggest success of my previous career came last
year when we won the championship title in the Finnish junior league with Jokerit
Helsinki. This was great.
McKeens: How would you describe yourself as a player?
AP: From my strongest assets I would mention puckhandling, this is my
strength. From the things I have to work on there is the physical game or better
to say the lack of it. I just have to get stronger.
McKeens: Do you play to come over to try your luck in the CHL?
AP: Not really. I plan to stay in Finland for the next season.
McKeens: Have you had any injury in your career so far?
AP: No, I haven't, I'm lucky.
McKeens: What do you do in your free time?
AP: I just try to relax to gain strength for the games or hang around
with my friends. I also like to watch good movies. I still visit a high school,
which takes quite a lot of my time. I'm a fan of music and prefer to listen
to all kinds of music except of classic music. From food I choose mostly pasta
or pizza.
McKeens: And your hockey dream?
AP: The goal I want to achieve is playing in the NHL, that my biggest
hockey dream.