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Arayvenn · 09-19-2023, 08:10 PM

CD: Good evening hockey fans, former professional hockey player and 4 star cup champion Chad Danger here on behalf of TSHLN. We've secured a post-draft bank padding sit down interview with Axel Hämäläinen who was drafted into the SHL 23rd overall by the Minnesota Monarchs on Sunday. Axel, how does it feel to be drafted into the SHL?

AH: It feels amazing, it's a big relief for sure. Coming over to join the juniors after the season had already begun, and taking a little bit of time to find my footing, I wasn't sure what was going to happen at the draft. I went camping and lost cell service before most scouts had an opportunity to contact me, so I had really no sense of what was going to happen.

CD: Wow it really sounds like you left every thing up to chance regarding your draft destination. How do you feel about your new home Minnesota?

AH: I feel really great about it. Minnesota was actually one of my top choices. The Monarchs have a rich SHL history and there's no better hockey state than Minnesota. I was most interested in going to a big market with engaged fans and I really don't think I could've landed anywhere better in the USA. I also have a lot of fellow crows in Minnesota's prospect pool who have helped me feel at home immediately. I'm excited to keep growing alongside these guys I just won a championship with.

CD: I was just about to ask you about the St. Louis connection. How great of an experience was your season in St. Louis, and what does it mean to you to be drafted by a team with so many fellow Scarecrows.

AH: This season with the crows was really special. I hear so many stories about quiet junior locker rooms, but our locker room was pretty active every day and just the entire way through we really believed we were going to win it. No disrespect to Maine, I think they have an amazing front office, but we were just so sure we were going to win this thing from the get go. We knew we were a strong team and that this was our best chance to finish the job. As far as getting drafted into an org with so many scarecrows, it actually means a ton. It helps with the adjustment to a new locker room, but it also just means a lot to me to get to continue playing alongside people who made the league so fun for me this past season. It's also really cool to be teammates with the guy who initially reached out to me and took a gamble on me in free agency. Competing with these guys will go a long way for keeping me motivated.

CD: And what are your motivations for this upcoming season?

AH: For this year? I think another four star cup would be difficult given how many core players we're graduating, but that's definitely my goal. Anything can happen in the playoffs. I want to play a bigger role in St. Louis this year as well, I think I am ready to contribute more. I think I showed in the semis and the finals that I can be an important player for us in critical times. Ultimately though, my goal is to win with Minnesota. The prospect of bringing a cup to Minnesota for the first time in their modern history is really exciting to me. I can't even fathom how big that would be.

CD: Is there anyone leaving the team that you're going to miss in particular?

AH: For me, James Ward-Prowse. I really think he was the best player in the juniors last year. That's going to be a massive hole in our roster that I'm not confident anyone can fill right away. Still, playing with that guy all year, and seeing how he grinds in the playoffs, I am definitely feeling some renewed sense of inspiration. I'm going to do every thing I can to be the best player I can be this year.

CD: Thanks for the time, Axel. Is there anything you want to say before we wrap this up?

AH: Just thanks to all the fans in St. Louis and Minnesota. As well as @Gumbaman for originally taking a chance on me in the summer and bringing me into the perfect environment and an amazing locker room. Also to @Mutedfaith and @spooked for making my SHL dreams a reality and giving me a chance to play alongside some junior teammates.

813 words

funk · 09-19-2023, 09:32 PM

Glad to hear from the kid after a clutch performance like we just saw in the finals.

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