by Mélanie Pontet

Ice hockey is the national sport in Finland and it is almost a part of daily life of the Finns. But how it could be seen by a French person? Here my feelings during a European competition in Helsinki.

Finland is one of the best countries concerning ice hockey. This sport is also present in France and I have already seen a couple of matches, but I think that it can’t be the same thing, the same environment, the same level.

Ice Hockey is actually the national sport in Finland, like football should be in France, so I guess that it is very interesting to watch a match of this team.
In 2006 Finland won the silver medal during the last Olympic Games of Turin and the bronze one in the world championship.

So when I saw that a tournament would be organised in Helsinki between the four best teams of Europe: Finland, Sweden, Czech Republic and Russia, I thought that I couldn’t miss that event!
So, on Sunday 12th November I went with friends to the Hartwall Areena. Plan: Two matches. Czech Republic versus Russia and Finland versus Sweden. When we arrived there were are not so many people and everybody was waiting in the line to enter. Calm and quietly, as usually in Finland!
Inside it seems very big. I was surprised to find restaurant, fast food and pubs. I thought that there were only ice and seats for the public! I went to my seat when the “show” was about to start. Immediately, I felt comfortable with the sensations provided by this sport: we are immersed in action and we can really feel the speed of the movements due to the noise of the ice under the skates of the hockey players. Like all the friends who were with me, I didn’t know all the rules, but that was not a problem: you can follow the game even if you are not a specialist! Russia- Czech Republic was a pleasant match with several goals. I can’t understand thought, how they can score! Goal cages are so little and the goalkeeper seems to take all the space with their warrior’s equipment!

I was surprised with the speed players entered and left the game. Each time there were three or four players from the same team needing substitution, it was amazing how quick new players were back in the ring. Sometimes it seemed a kind of ballet!

At the end of the match, the score was the same for both teams: 2-2. So, we had the chance to watch the overtime and as none of teams were succeeding in scoring, it soon came the time for penalties. I could feel a strong solidarity between the team members who were waiting together. And after this stressful moment the Russian team wins!

We have now one hour before the second match. I thought that I would be allowed to stay on my sit but not at all! A staff member came and explained us that they had to clean before the second match, and so we had to leave. It is funny to stroll in the stadium. By that time, there were only blue and white colours: clothes, flags, faces… Worn by young or old people, women or men, these colours were everywhere. Fast food and pubs were full: by 6 pm everybody was eating hamburgers, French fries, pizzas and drinking beers or Coca Cola.

Half an hour before the match begun, we could again enter the stadium. It was full, more than 10 000 persons. We were almost 20 friends and so we set down close to each other in our seats. Bad idea!! When three Finnish guys came and saw that we were on their places, they were not very nice with us and showed quite aggressive! Apparently it was very serious there!

So after this little “problem”, the second match begun. I thought that the first match had already been a little violent but this one was even more impressive! In the public and on the ice ring, we felt that this match against Sweden was not being seen only as a sports event. I now understand what Finns talk about when they say there is a kind of competition and rivalry between the two nations. Even if it is not an important match, it is clear that neither teams think about losing.

The public is very enthusiastic, but five minutes before the break everyone leaves the arena for a while. Everybody runs to drink something! Are they imagining that their team can score in these last seconds?? Apparently they don’t care and I think it is strange because they are so implicated in the game the rest of the time!! Anyway!

Players are very implicated in their match too, and each time they finished their action in the billboard or each time they felt on the ice, I say to me that sure they are more robust than “our” football players. Nevertheless, for me Hockey seems to be a bout sport more than a collective one! Why does the referee not punish this movement?? Sometimes they are a bit crazy!!

The match was soon finished and it was Sweden which was taking the lead. Everybody was hoping the Finnish players to score but one more time, two minutes before the end of the games, all the Finns went out, and there were only some people when the referee announced the end of the match. Really I can’t understand this mentality! They don’t applaud their team and don’t watch the players from both teams congratulating each other … Are Finnish bad losers or have I missed something??