He was born in Turku, like Petteri Nummelin. Almost 30 years after Petteri Nummelin. Too bad that the city of origin is not a guarantee of success. However, Valtteri Pulli hopes – and all the Juventus people hope so – to be able to lend a hand to this Lugano team. After a couple of training sessions with his new teammates, the 23-year-old defender will make his debut in the Swiss championship in Kloten. The first of the four black and white stages before the Christmas holidays, the first chance to finally make sense of this season. He arrived in Ticino suddenly, after the equally sudden farewell of Justin Schultz. «Everything went very quickly. Last Wednesday I learned of Lugano’s interest in me. The same day we found an agreement, I packed my bags and arrived here. It’s been a long day, but now I’m very happy to be in Ticino.”
In the orbit of the San José Sharks, Pulli never had the opportunity to play in the NHL. After a good first season in the AHL with the San José Barracudas, the Finn was experiencing a much more complicated year, with only two appearances in the championship. Hence the desire for a change of scenery: «Things in North America can change very quickly. I had a positive first year in the AHL with the San José Barracuda. This season, however, I haven’t had the chance to play as much as I would have liked. I need to get on the ice, to play as many games as possible for the development of my career. I thought that in this sense returning to Europe represented the best opportunity. At the beginning of this season I had a small injury, nothing major, then I came back and played two games. However, the coaching staff had many defenders available and various things happened in the Barracuda organization. I ended up on the sidelines and I saw that there was no longer the possibility of having a clear role in the team.” Old Europe – and Lugano in particular – then represents a sort of lifeline for Pulli: «European hockey probably suits my characteristics better. I feel more comfortable here, in other words. Of course, in the first training sessions with Lugano I found the rink to be huge (laughs, ed.), but I grew up in Finland and I’m sure that I will quickly adapt to the size of the ice again.”
Once again, an element lacking in competition arrives at the Cornèr Arena, but Pulli doesn’t have too many problems about it: «Physically I feel very good. I have always trained hard in North America. In short, my condition is good and even in these first training sessions with the black and white I felt good sensations.” Above all he will try to bring order and solidity to a defensive system that is unable to find continuity: «Yes, I am above all a defensive full-back. I like to remove as much as possible from the ice – if I may say so – the best forwards of the opposing teams. I’m here for this. When I feel totally comfortable, I will also try to bring some offensive impulse, but I want to start this new adventure by focusing above all on defensive work. In short, on the basics, without wanting to overdo it.”
At 23 – and after Schultz’s farewell – Pulli will be faced with considerable responsibilities. It is the fate of every foreigner who arrives in Switzerland, on the other hand: «I know that Lugano is not going through an easy period. Obviously I want to help the team move up the table, to be successful. However, I don’t want to put too much pressure on myself, my goal is to play well and give my best every day. And I hope that Lugano can soon find the way out of this situation. I didn’t find a disheartened group. There is a lot of positive energy in the locker room and everyone has a strong desire to get back on the right path.”
Helping Pulli in these first days in black and white are the Finns: Jesper and Aleksi Peltonen, Santeri Alatalo and assistant coach Kalle Kaskinen. Krister Cantoni also expresses himself perfectly in Finnish, obviously without forgetting senior advisor Antti Törmänen: «Here I found many compatriots or at least people who speak Finnish. This is helping me a lot, in these first days, to feel at ease. Everyone is helping me in this regard. Antti Törmänen? I didn’t know him well personally before arriving in Ticino. But I know that he is a very respected person in the hockey world. I’m happy to be able to work with him too.”
Pulli confesses that he knows little about the Swiss championship: «To be honest, I don’t know much about Swiss hockey. I played a couple of matches against Red Cross teams in the Champions League. I know it’s an extremely competitive league, with excellent players. And my first impression is that Lugano is a very good team.”
Lugano starts again from the small point gained in Davos before the break. The last call has probably arrived for the Bianconeri: the four matches before the Christmas break will tell if there is still life at the Cornèr Arena. «During this week – explains coach Gianinazzi – we wanted to focus on some very specific aspects of our game and that’s what we did». Justin Schultz left and Pulli arrived: «It’s good that Valtteri arrived during the break: he was able to get to know his new teammates and the way we play. He is a defensive fullback, gifted with good skating, who plays in a very clear and solid manner. He will help us find defensive stability. He is a very young boy, with wide margins for progression.” He won’t play on the power play, Pulli. Without Schultz anymore, David Aebischer and Santeri Alatalo will once again have to manage Lugano’s numerical superiority. A solution that had not brought great results in the recent past: «We are in a phase in which there are many changes. Of course, it would be easier to have some stability and a power play that works great. In the last few games we have created many opportunities with the extra man on the floor, but without realizing them. I hope these new changes will help us be successful in the four games before Christmas. It will be important to make the most of every single player in the role they will receive.” Changes – it was said – were the result of Schultz’s sudden departure. A farewell that apparently did not destabilize the group: «The club has already said that it would not comment on the Canadian defender’s decision. Now Schultz is a thing of the past: it’s a matter of going to Kloten and doing everything possible to be successful again with the personnel we now have available. The aviators are very structured, they focus a lot on the defensive phase. They find themselves in a perhaps unexpected ranking position for them and will have confidence on their side. We will have to play intelligently.”