Nieminen working to catch on with Avs

Originally published on EuroReport.com in 2001

By Lucas Aykroyd

His taste in entertainment, ranging from WWF wrestling to the movie “Road Trip,” may not be the most intellectual, but Ville Nieminen shows plenty of smarts on the ice. The 23-year-old rookie left wing from Tampere, Finland was recently called up from the Hershey Bears of the AHL to join the Colorado Avalanche for the third time this season. Although consistency has been a concern for Nieminen, he hasn’t missed a beat while filling for the injured Adam Deadmarsh alongside Peter Forsberg and Chris Drury. Originally Colorado’s fourth choice (78th overall) in the 1997 NHL Entry Draft, the 6-0, 200-pound forward boasts an impressive NHL career shooting percentage of more than 20 percent. One of his career highlights came last season, when he notched two game-winning goals against Kentucky in the second round of the AHL playoffs. Nieminen opened the scoring for the Avalanche in a 5-3 road loss to Vancouver on 1 February 2001, and the Tappara graduate spoke with EuroReport’s Lucas Aykroyd afterwards.

EuroReport: As of tonight, you’ve scored goals in three straight games. What’s been the key?

Ville Nieminen: I guess the key has been that I’ve gotten chances and have just closed my eyes and tried to shoot the puck and it’s gone in! Forsberg and Drury draw the other guys to them and leave a little bit of space for me. It’s as simple as that. I’ve been lucky.

EuroReport: What has Bob Hartley asked you to do out there?

Nieminen: Skate hard, forecheck hard, play solid in the defensive zone and try to bring some energy.

EuroReport: Two years ago with Hershey, you had 124 penalty minutes. Have you tried to cut that down?

Nieminen: Yeah, I’ve tried to stay focused more on playing hockey and working hard every night. I try to avoid stupid penalties or overreacting.

EuroReport: Is it tough mentally to establish yourself with an organization like Colorado when you know they have so much depth?

Nieminen: I’ve been in the minors for three years, but I think that’s what they were planning for me, and I was ready for that. Now it’s time to make things happen, because it might be the best opportunity I ever get. Sometimes it’s been tough, because I didn’t see the light at the end of the tunnel, but now I’m here and I’m going to try to avoid getting plane tickets to Hershey as much as possible!

EuroReport: But it must be nice to have some guys from last year’s Hershey team up here with you: Berry, Parker, Aebischer and so on.

Nieminen: Yeah, I’ve got lots of good memories with those guys. It’s nice to hang out with them.

EuroReport: Who were some of your favorite players when you were growing up?

Nieminen: Jari Kurri was one of my idols. But it’s hard to say. I followed so much hockey when I was a kid. When I was about 12, in middle school, I knew all the hockey players and their numbers. I don’t have too many heroes, honestly. The guys I’m playing with right now, I’ve followed the most! [laughs]

EuroReport: What makes Tampere such a great hockey town?

Nieminen: To be honest, it’s always been like Finland’s Montreal. But things aren’t going so well there now. I think all the young guys don’t have much talent or they don’t have that kind of hunger. I don’t know what’s wrong. The winters are getting warmer and kids don’t play outside anymore. I remember, we used to play all the time. I didn’t care much about homework. I just wanted to play hockey!

EuroReport: What are your goals for the rest of this season?

Nieminen: Try to get into the lineup for the rest of the regular season plus the playoffs. I will try to help the team as much as possible and hopefully we can win the Cup.