Oliver Kapanen came to Montreal with a clear and precise objective: to start the season with the Canadiens. As a curtain-raiser for training camp, the 21-year-old centerman did everything he could to get noticed.
The Finn dominated the competition in the intra-team match. He scored two goals and could have easily added two more with a bit of luck.
“I want to get a job. I’m not here to play tourist. Playing in the NHL has always been my dream,” he said afterwards. “I feel confident. Everything’s going well so far.”
Acceleration force, agile hands, precise shots, the Canadiens’ second-round pick in 2021 demonstrated the extent of his talent. Even Nick Suzuki, Kapanen’s teammate on the Reds, was not indifferent.
“Guys were talking about him after the game. He looked good, he’s fast, he made a lot of nice plays,” the captain said. “I knew he had a great end to the season in Finland. He carried that over here today.”
Kapanen did indeed have a breakout in the second half of the season, in Kuopio, in the SM-Liiga, Finland’s elite league. A surge that allowed him to lead his team with 14 points in 13 playoff games and to dominate the Finnish team’s scoring column (six goals in eight games) during the last world championships.
“I knew I could play hockey, but it wasn’t working out for me,” he said of his slow start to the season. “I redoubled my efforts and continued to work both on and off the ice, telling myself that it would pay off.”
Under the orders of a legend
This record prompted Kent Hughes to give him a three-year contract. At the same time, he also signed a two-year contract with the Timra team in the Swedish Premier League.
The terms of this latest deal mean that it will be the Habs or Sweden for Kapanen. Laval is not an option. Besides, Kapanen has already started his season at Timra, with whom he has played six games.
There, on the team managed by his father, Kimmo, he had the chance to play under Olli Jokinen, the fourth-leading Finnish scorer in NHL history. Jokinen played 1,231 NHL games, nearly half of them with the Florida Panthers.
“He’s good with young people. I spent six weeks in Timra with him. I learned a lot. It allowed me to be ready for this camp.”
Like all Europeans coming to North America, Kapanen says he’ll have to adjust to the size of the rink. But for now, he doesn’t seem too bothered by it.
