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[Ready for grading]

Thanks for being here. As the S29 SHL draft approaches and the Montreal Militia celebrate their S28 Four-Star Cup win, rookie defenseman Ilmari Määttä is here to answer your questions.



Where do you see yourself going in the draft and why?

It would be amazing to go in the first round, and from talking to GMs, I think I have a pretty good chance of being a later first-round pick. I think I’m a strong defensive prospect even though my offense is still a place I really need to work, and I think that GMs are looking for that.

What does a SHL GM get when they draft Ilmari Määttä?

They get a player who is devoted to his team and willing to work hard to help his team succeed and to achieve the best play he can. I think they also get a respectful guy who is a good teammate and pretty kind.

List your top 3 SHL team for the draft and explain why you picked these three.

1) New England Wolfpack - The Wolfpack has a lot of really promising prospects, and yes, some of them happen to be friends of mine. But I also think they’re building a really promising team for the future and I think it would be amazing to be a part of that.
2) Seattle Riot - Like New England, I think Seattle is has stocked up a lot of young players with a lot of skill and I think they have a chance in the future to do really well. Their organization and upper management is amazing and I would look forward to being a part of their team.
3) Hamilton Steelhawks - I’m very impressed with Hamilton’s management and again, I think they’re building a promising team. I definitely want to be a part of a team that is hungry for success and has some other young players who feel the same way.

How does it feel winning the cup in Montreal? Do you feel you can repeat?

I think repeating will be a massive challenge, simply because we will have such a big turnover with so many guys heading up to the SHL, but hopefully it’s one that we as a team can rise up to. We still have one of the top goalies in the league and hopefully we’ll be able to develop a new core with guys like Greenie and Xavier staying around. It’s going to be tough, but I think we have a group who can definitely try for a repeat.

Are you the next Kari Kekkonen?

Well, I definitely hope I can have a longer SHL career.

What's your favorite color and why is it Seattle?

Seattle is a very nice color and I’m rather fond of it.

I like all shades of blue, because Finland! But also, blue is a really nice color and it is very, uh, versatile. So there is a shade for every feeling! I really like the--is it teal?--the bluish green color of Seattle’s logo.

I also like green, and brown. I like colors that are found in nature, I think.

Why is Finland the GREATEST COUNTRY IN THE WORLD

It’s clearly all its wonderful people!! And we play the best hockey, of course.

I've grown to love Montreal and the people and the food and the city! But Finland will always be home for me.

You are undoubtedly one of the top defensive rookies in this draft class. How does it feel, knowing you've worked so hard to get this far and done a good job staying on top of the pack?

Well, I guess it feels pretty good! I just try to play my game as best I can and I feel like that’s paying off. It’s an honor to be considered one of the top defensive rookies and I want to continue to live up to that status, especially since I didn’t score a goal last season, and my points production could have been better. It’s good to know that the other parts of my game are making up for that lack in offensive production, enough to keep me named among some rookies who I’m not sure I deserve to be named with!

What would you say you're most looking forward to for next season?

I’m both nervous and excited to know my role on the team is going to expanded, as the majority of our D core moves up to the SHL. I’m definitely going to miss having those guys on the team, but I’m also excited to develop as a player and maybe as one of the leaders on the team.

Personally, I found a place in Montreal that I’m renting and I’m very excited to live on my own for the first time! I’ve never done it before and I’m looking forward to that. I have a second bedroom, so maybe I’ll see if a rookie wants to join me, but I’m also really enjoying having my space for now.

While Montreal did end up sweeping Prince George in the final, there were a couple very close games along the way. What was your favourite playoff moment of the run up to the cup?

That last game was completely incredible! We had a come-from-behind win that I think really showed our fortitude and resilience. We weren’t just a team who could win, we proved we were a team who could deal with the pressure and come back and recover. I think it was a game that really demonstrated how complete we were as a team, and for it to be the winning game of the Four-Star Cup was really cool. We got to go out on our highest note.

What do you plan to do on your cup day?

I’m taking the cup back to Rovaniemi and I’m going to have a small party with family and friends, probably! I’m very excited that I’m able to give my family tangible proof that the time and effort and money they spent was worth it. I owe my parents and sisters a lot and it’s really important that I share this with them, because I wouldn’t have gotten so far without them. I’m excited to go back home and see my family and some friends as it is, but bringing the Four-Star Cup home with me is an added bonus. Hopefully in the future I can bring a Challenge Cup home to them as well.

I really hope it works out that some of my Finnish friends from the SMJHL and World Juniors can come as well, if they want to. I don’t have many close friends aside from my family and a few neighbors in Rovaniemi and if they don’t mind and are home, it would be wonderful to be able to spend some good time with them. I know Bennett and I are planning to go to each other’s Cup days but I haven’t gotten around to asking anyone else.

As far as special things I want to do with the Cup, I’d really love to take it out onto the beach or up to the top of one of the hills at Ounasvaara for a small party at night. My Cup day is during the midnight sun and I’m really excited. My mom also has already scheduled a river cruise in the evening, but the sun will be up almost all night, so I want to take advantage of the beautiful summertime. It will definitely be a late night!

With a number of Montreal's veteran players likely getting the call up to the SHL next season, you'll be taking on a bigger role in the team. How do you feel about that? How will you prepare for it?

I’m nervous for it! It is a lot of pressure but I think I can prepare for it. This summer, I’m really working on my offense and hoping to develop that so I can live up to a bigger role on the team. I also hope that having more ice time will allow more parts of my game to show through and I can prove to whoever drafts me that I’m a worthwhile pick both offensively and defensively.

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How would you rate your activity level this past season? Do you think you can keep it up, or do you think you can improve on it and why?

I think I was a little inconsistent, but I was also dealing with a wild end to the semester and some personal issues (severe depression and anxiety as well as a death in my family). So I want to become more consistent and just be more regular with how I access the site this summer while I have a little bit more free time and a little bit less time devoted to school.

Has there been any part of coming in as a true rookie that's been difficult? And if so, what (if anything) could the league do to ease your transition?

I really do think there’s a really steep learning curve and you just have to suck it up and figure it out. However, everyone’s been super willing to help, from my player updater when I fuck up updates, to my locker room, to the rookie mentors, to rrireal and lil and co. who recruited me. I think that’s made the learning curve more manageable. I’m a little shy in new situations and have to work hard to put myself out there, so doing something like this is definitely not easy for me, but it’s also been wonderful to see how welcoming everyone has been.

The site can be really difficult to navigate. I’m not an expert so I don’t really know how to fix it, and maybe it’s just the nature of the beast. But I think that’s the biggest hurdle to clear.

- Where do you see yourself going in the draft and why?

- How would you rate your activity level this past season? Do you think you can keep it up, or do you think you can improve on it and why?

- What does a SHL GM get when they draft Ilmari Määttä?

- List your top 3 SHL team for the draft and explain why you picked these three.

- How does it feel winning the cup in Montreal? Do you feel you can repeat?

Good Luck in the draft!

Are you the next Kari Kekkonen?

KARI KEKKONEN | D | RETIRED
NAME: Kari Kekkonen
BIRTHPLACE: Oulu, Finland
HEIGHT: 6'1"
WEIGHT: 185 lbs
NUMBER: 33
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SMJHL CAREER STATS
S19 KEL: GP: 40, G: 10, A: 26, P: 36, +/-: 16, H: 42

SMJHL PLAYOFF STATS
S19 KEL: GP: 6, G: 0, A: 6, P: 6, +/-: 0, H: 6
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KAAPO KEKKONEN | C | RETIRED
NAME: Kaapo Kekkonen
BIRTHPLACE: Helsinki, Finland
HEIGHT: 6'3"
WEIGHT: 210 lbs
NUMBER: 19
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SHL CAREER STATS
S25 LAP: GP: 50, G: 2, A: 3, P: 5, +/-: -4, H: 75
S26 LAP: GP: 50, G: 4, A: 5, P: 9, +/-: -13, H: 94
S27 LAP: GP: 50, G: 6, A: 9, P: 15, +/-: -2, H: 35
S28 LAP: GP: 50, G: 7, A: 10, P: 17, +/-: -2, H: 96
S29 LAP: GP: 50, G: 13, A: 21, P: 34, +/-: -15, H: 85
S30 LAP: GP: 50, G: 23, A: 22, P: 45, +/-: 4, H: 130
S31 LAP: GP: 50, G: 20, A: 18, P: 38, +/-: 5, H: 162
S32 LAP: GP: 50, G: 18, A: 28, P: 46, +/-: 27, H: 183
S33 LAP: GP: 50, G: 17, A: 22, P: 39, +/-: 20, H: 210
S34 LAP: GP: 50, G: 12, A: 25, P: 37, +/-: -2, H: 131
S35 LAP: GP: 50, G: 10, A: 22, P: 32, +/-: -3, H: 115
S36 LAP: GP: 50, G: 11, A: 20, P: 31, +/-: 10, H: 138
S37 LAP: GP: 36, G: 9, A: 17, P: 26, +/-: -1, H: 72
S37 WKP: GP: 14, G: 1, A: 0, P: 1, +/-: -4, H: 19
TOT : GP: 650, G: 153, A: 222, P: 375, +/-: 20, H: 1545
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SHL PLAYOFF STATS
S25 LAP: DNQ
S26 LAP: DNQ
S27 LAP: DNQ
S28 LAP: DNQ
S29 LAP: DNQ
S30 LAP: DNQ
S31 LAP: DNQ
S32 LAP: GP: 5, G: 1, A: 3, P: 4, +/-: -2, H: 15
S33 LAP: GP: 12, G: 2, A: 3, P: 5, +/-: 0, H: 38
S34 LAP: GP: 7, G: 1, A: 3, P: 4, +/-: 3, H: 23
S35 LAP: GP: 5, G: 1, A: 1, P: 2, +/-: -4, H: 4
S36 LAP: DNQ
S37 WKP: GP: 12, G: 0, A: 2, P: 2, +/-: -2, H: 35
TOT : GP: 41, G: 5, A: 12, P: 17, +/-: -5, H: 115
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TATU MÄKELÄ | D | RETIRED
NAME: Tatu Mäkelä
BIRTHPLACE: Tampere, Finland
HEIGHT: 5'11"
WEIGHT: 180 lbs
NUMBER: 65
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SHL CAREER STATS
S40 BUF: GP: 50, G: 5, A: 17, P: 22, +/-: -28, H: 14, SB: 86
S41 BUF: GP: 50, G: 10, A: 21, P: 31, +/-: -3, H: 9, SB: 78
S42 BUF: GP: 50, G: 9, A: 21, P: 30, +/-: 2, H: 13, SB: 65
S43 BUF: GP: 50, G: 6, A: 24, P: 30, +/-: 1, H: 8, SB: 51
S44 BUF: GP: 50, G: 6, A: 28, P: 34, +/-: -6, H: 10, SB: 63
S45 BUF: GP: 50, G: 4, A: 37, P: 41, +/-: 10, H: 130, SB: 71
S46 BUF: GP: 50, G: 6, A: 36, P: 42, +/-: 25, H: 139, SB: 73
S47 BUF: GP: 50, G: 5, A: 23, P: 28, +/-: -4, H: 137, SB: 76
S48 BUF: GP: 50, G: 7, A: 25, P: 32, +/-: 9, H: 151, SB: 70
S49 BUF: GP: 50, G: 6, A: 22, P: 28, +/-: 5, H: 159, SB: 66
S50 BUF: GP: 50, G: 6, A: 20, P: 26, +/-: 14, H: 152, SB: 72
S51 BUF: GP: 50, G: 3, A: 23, P: 26, +/-: 8, H: 143, SB: 50
S52 BUF: GP: 50, G: 9, A: 21, P: 30, +/-: -3, H: 141, SB: 71
S53 BUF: GP: 50, G: 5, A: 14, P: 19, +/-: 23, H: 50, SB: 98
TOT : GP: 700, G: 87, A: 332, P: 419, +/-: 53, H: 1256, SB: 990
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SHL PLAYOFF STATS
S40 BUF: DNQ
S41 BUF: GP: 7, G: 3, A: 2, P: 5, +/-: -3, H: 0, SB: 10
S42 BUF: GP: 5, G: 0, A: 1, P: 1, +/-: -9, H: 2, SB: 10
S43 BUF: GP: 9, G: 0, A: 5, P: 5, +/-: -1, H: 1, SB: 8
S44 BUF: DNQ
S45 BUF: DNQ
S46 BUF: GP: 17, G: 0, A: 12, P: 12, +/-: 11, H: 59, SB: 28
S47 BUF: GP: 13, G: 0, A: 5, P: 5, +/-: 2, H: 32, SB: 18
S48 BUF: GP: 22, G: 2, A: 10, P: 12, +/-: 2, H: 64, SB: 32
S49 BUF: GP: 5, G: 0, A: 5, P: 5, +/-: 5, H: 15, SB: 8
S50 BUF: GP: 6, G: 0, A: 5, P: 5, +/-: -2, H: 18, SB: 12
S51 BUF: GP: 8, G: 2, A: 5, P: 7, +/-: -3, H: 15, SB: 11
S52 BUF: GP: 15, G: 4, A: 5, P: 9, +/-: 4, H: 47, SB: 26
S53 BUF: GP: 4, G: 0, A: 0, P: 0, +/-: 0, H: 6, SB: 13
TOT : GP: 111, G: 11, A: 55, P: 66, +/-: 6, H: 159, SB: 176
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KOLJA KEKKONEN | D | RETIRED
NAME: Kolja Kekkonen
BIRTHPLACE: Lappeenranta, Finland
HEIGHT: 6'3"
WEIGHT: 225 lbs
NUMBER: 8
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SMJHL CAREER STATS
S53 DET: GP: 3, G: 0, A: 1, P: 1, +/-: -1, H: 2, SB: 0
S54 DET: GP: 50, G: 2, A: 8, P: 10, +/-: -6, H: 15, SB: 37
S55 DET: GP: 50, G: 4, A: 12, P: 16, +/-: -24, H: 32, SB: 24
S56 DET: GP: 50, G: 4, A: 17, P: 21, +/-: -20, H: 52, SB: 71
S57 ANA: GP: 66, G: 6, A: 20, P: 26, +/-: 14, H: 52, SB: 70
TOT : GP: 219, G: 16, A: 58, P: 74, +/-: -37, H: 153, SB: 202
SMJHL PLAYOFF STATS
S53 DET: DNP
S54 DET: GP: 7, G: 0, A: 0, P: 0, +/-: 0, H: 2, SB: 3
S55 DET: GP: 4, G: 0, A: 1, P: 1, +/-: -2, H: 3, SB: 0
S56 DET: GP: 5, G: 2, A: 2, P: 4, +/-: 0, H: 3, SB: 7
S57 ANA: GP: 21, G: 2, A: 13, P: 15, +/-: 5, H: 13, SB: 34
TOT : GP: 37, G: 4, A: 16, P: 20, +/-: 3, H: 22, SB: 44
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KEKW KEKKONEN | C | RETIRED
NAME: Karl-Erik-Karl2-Wojtek Kekkonen
BIRTHPLACE: Lohja, Finland
HEIGHT: 6'4"
WEIGHT: 220 lbs
NUMBER: 69
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SHL CAREER STATS
S61 BUF: GP: 66, G: 10, A: 28, P: 38, +/-: 21, H: 59, SH: 134
S62 BUF: GP: 66, G: 19, A: 36, P: 55, +/-: 9, H: 84, SH: 194
S63 BUF: GP: 66, G: 17, A: 14, P: 31, +/-: -13, H: 91, SH: 148
S64 BUF: GP: 66, G: 16, A: 51, P: 67, +/-: 36, H: 82, SH: 212
S65 BUF: GP: 66, G: 25, A: 41, P: 66, +/-: 33, H: 136, SH: 230
S66 BUF: GP: 66, G: 38, A: 43, P: 81, +/-: 18, H: 64, SH: 222
S67 BUF: GP: 66, G: 40, A: 45, P: 85, +/-: -6, H: 76, SH: 224
S68 BUF: GP: 66, G: 47, A: 46, P: 93, +/-: 45, H: 51, SH: 326
S69 BUF: GP: 66, G: 35, A: 31, P: 66, +/-: 22, H: 43, SH: 269
S70 BUF: GP: 66, G: 33, A: 48, P: 81, +/-: 18, H: 66, SH: 297
S71 BUF: GP: 66, G: 36, A: 41, P: 77, +/-: 37, H: 55, SH: 257
S72 BUF: GP: 66, G: 25, A: 35, P: 60, +/-: -1, H: 58, SH: 281
S73 BUF: GP: 66, G: 31, A: 41, P: 72, +/-: 23, H: 48, SH: 305
S74 BUF/WPG: GP: 66, G: 17, A: 47, P: 64, +/-: 33, H: 101, SH: 164
TOT : GP: 924, G: 389, A: 547, P: 936, +/-: 275, H: 1014, SH: 3263
SHL PLAYOFF STATS
S61 BUF: GP: 9, G: 2, A: 6, P: 8, +/-: 4, H: 11, SH: 24
S62 BUF: GP: 9, G: 3, A: 1, P: 4, +/-: 2, H: 5, SH: 25
S63 BUF: GP: 12, G: 1, A: 2, P: 3, +/-: -1, H: 32, SH: 33
S64 BUF: GP: 11, G: 2, A: 2, P: 4, +/-: -6, H: 12, SH: 41
S65 BUF: GP: 18, G: 4, A: 7, P: 11, +/-: 8, H: 34, SH: 62
S66 BUF: GP: 16, G: 11, A: 9, P: 20, +/-: 3, H: 13, SH: 49
S67 BUF: GP: 4, G: 2, A: 2, P: 4, +/-: -3, H: 3, SH: 20
S68 BUF: GP: 17, G: 6, A: 8, P: 14, +/-: -4, H: 11, SH: 75
S69 BUF: GP: 4, G: 1, A: 0, P: 1, +/-: -5, H: 2, SH: 13
S70 BUF: GP: 7, G: 1, A: 3, P: 4, +/-: -8, H: 2, SH: 25
S71 BUF: GP: 21, G: 12, A: 9, P: 21, +/-: 6, H: 24, SH: 97
S72 BUF: GP: 5, G: 0, A: 2, P: 2, +/-: -4, H: 7, SH: 25
S73 BUF: GP: 6, G: 3, A: 0, P: 3, +/-: -3, H: 11, SH: 33
S74 WPG: GP: 22, G: 3, A: 4, P: 7, +/-: -2, H: 15, SH: 37
TOT : GP: 161, G: 51, A: 55, P: 106, +/-: -11, H: 182, SH: 559
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KAL ÅKAR KEKKONEN | D | SEATTLE ARGONAUTS
NAME: Kal Åkar Kekkonen
BIRTHPLACE: The Wilderness, Gielinor
HEIGHT: 6'6"
WEIGHT: 240 lbs
NUMBER: 75
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SMJHL CAREER STATS
S74 DET: GP: 66, G: 6, A: 14, P: 20, +/-: 3, SH: 83, H: 76, SB: 29
S75 DET: GP: 66, G: 8, A: 22, P: 30, +/-: 31, SH: 129, H: 123, SB: 114
S76 DET: GP: 66, G: 17, A: 21, P: 38, +/-: -10, SH: 193, H: 74, SB: 130

SMJHL PLAYOFF STATS
S74 DET: GP: 17, G: 3, A: 7, P: 10, +/-: 8, SH: 18, H: 16, SB: 5
S75 DET: GP: 14, G: 5, A: 6, P: 11, +/-: 2, SH: 40, H: 26, SB: 27
S76 DET: GP: 4, G: 1, A: 2, P: 3, +/-: -2, SH: 8, H: 8, SB: 8
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what's your favorite color and why is it Seattle?

GoB's Writing Thread

Proud of you and love you!!!!!! (EVEN THO Bishop stole all my good questions smh bud, smh)

Has there been any part of coming in as a true rookie that's been difficult? And if so, what (if anything) could the league do to ease your transition?

Why is Finland the GREATEST COUNTRY IN THE WORLD

You are undoubtedly one of the top defensive rookies in this draft class. How does it feel, knowing you've worked so hard to get this far and done a good job staying on top of the pack?

What would you say you're most looking forward to for next season?

While Montreal did end up sweeping Prince George in the final, there were a couple very close games along the way. What was your favourite playoff moment of the run up to the cup?

What do you plan to do on your cup day?

With a number of Montreal's veteran players likely getting the call up to the SHL next season, you'll be taking on a bigger role in the team. How do you feel about that? How will you prepare for it?

Congratulations on your win, and good luck in the draft! :-x

thanks for your questions, everyone! :lol: