Niinimaa strives for consistency with Edmonton

Originally published on EuroReport.com in 1999

By Lucas Aykroyd

For Janne Niinimaa, it would be better if a picture didn’t tell a thousand words.

Which do you remember better? The Finnish defenseman’s top-notch statistics from 1996-97, when he set a Philadelphia Flyers record for most assists by a rookie by going 4-40-44? Or the image of his botched clearing attempt in a key playoff game against Dallas on 12 May 1998, which led to Benoit Hogue’s winning goal in overtime?

The 24-year-old native of Raahe has earned a reputation as an offensively skilled but high-risk rearguard. Acquired by the Edmonton Oilers from Philadelphia for Dan McGillis and a second-round draft pick in March 1998, the 6-1, 220-pound Niinimaa is starting to flesh out his game. He’s scored 11 points in 24 games, and he logs more ice time than any other Edmonton defenseman, filling the role that Boris Mironov used to play before being dealt to the Chicago Blackhawks late last season.

Unfortunately, fatigue still leads to poor decision-making by Niinimaa at times. In a 2 December clash between the Oilers and the Vancouver Canucks at GM Place, Niinimaa got Steve Kariya to take an elbowing penalty at 16:56 of the third period and had a chance to become a hero on the Oilers’ subsequent power play. But Edmonton failed to capitalize. And in overtime, Niinimaa was caught looking the wrong way as Bill Muckalt fed Todd Bertuzzi in front of the net to give Vancouver a 3-2 win.

Clearly unhappy with his part in dropping Edmonton’s overtime record to 0-4-6 this season, Niinimaa spoke with EuroReport in a subdued Oilers locker room after the game: “It’s frustrating. You can’t deny that. It’s just the way we execute. Sometimes it seems like we don’t know what we’re doing out there in overtime. On the goal, I didn’t see what happened. I was with the guy carrying the puck. I tried to prevent the pass but I failed.”

But Niinimaa feels he’s making good overall progress in his fourth NHL season: “Lots of good stuff is happening. I’m playing power play, penalty kill, everything. There are still things I need to improve. I need to be more involved offensively. Shoot the puck better and pass the puck better. The little things are key. I’ve had some injuries, and my back’s been bothering me. I can’t just be happy, but I feel positive.”

Word has it that rookie Oilers coach Kevin Lowe has been laying down the law with his former teammates since taking over the job general manager Glen Sather reserved for him. So far, Edmonton’s 24 points in 25 games don’t point to any drastic improvement over the results Ron Low garnered as bench boss in 1998-99 (78 points and a .476 winning percentage). But Niinimaa has great respect for Lowe, a solid defender and five-time Stanley Cup winner who holds the Oilers’ record for most games played in both the regular season (1,037) and playoffs (172).

“We all agree Kevin’s done a great job as a first-year coach,” said Niinimaa. “He’s very calm. He leads the team well. Even though our record isn’t where it should be, you can’t blame him. Teddy Green and Craig MacTavish support him very well as assistants, so the coaching staff is doing its job.”

It seems as if every year Edmonton ices a youthful squad with lots of promise. Recently, though, the team hasn’t come close to replicating the Cup mania of the Wayne Gretzky years. In a town that bills itself as the City of Champions, the pressure to succeed never goes away, even though everyone knows the Oilers have a tighter budget than most NHL franchises. “Edmonton is a hockey city,” Niinimaa said. “It has a great tradition. The city really cares about its hockey, and they’re proud of our team. I’m proud to be an Oiler, and that’s the main thing. Plus we have the best ice in the league.”

Undoubtedly, Edmonton is the NHL city most famed for its Finnish stars. Forwards Jari Kurri and Esa Tikkanen head the list of “Suomi” alumni, along with lesser lights such as Risto Siltanen, Matti Hagman, and Raimo Summanen, to name a few. Niinimaa, a graduate of Kärpät Oulu and Jokerit of the Finnish Elite League, knows he has a lot to live up to. “I’m trying to get up there with those guys,” he said. “I’m not there yet. It’s big shoes to fill when you mention those names, but hopefully someday I will.”

Given the flashy offensive texture of Niinimaa’s game, it’s no surprise that his two favorite players growing up included a Finnish defender who racked up 344 points in the 1980s with the New York Rangers and the Oilers, along with the NHL’s leader in career assists among active players.

“From the Finnish guys, it was Reijo Ruotsalainen,” said Niinimaa. “He’s from the same town as me. And Paul Coffey, right from when I started watching NHL hockey.”

Niinimaa has already enjoyed something that eluded Coffey during his storied career: an Olympic hockey medal. Niinimaa tallied 3 assists in 8 games as Finland claimed the bronze at the 1998 Nagano Winter Games, capping its triumph with a 3-2 win over Canada on 21 February.

“It was one of my proudest moments as a hockey player,” he said. “It was an unbelievable experience. It’s always that way when you represent your country. It’s just a great feeling and winning something like that is huge. It meant very much to Finns.”

Fond memories aside, Niinimaa is on a mission to get the Oilers into the playoffs again and pull off some upsets. The scoring exploits of Doug Weight and Alexander Selivanov have made a difference in the early going, but as the saying goes, “Defense wins championships.” Right now, a hand injury to Niinimaa’s fellow blueliner Roman Hamrlik makes the Finn even more conscious of his responsibilities.

“We’ve got to make our overall game better,” Niinimaa said. “Like I mentioned, it’s the little things that count. Our goaltending’s been great, but our defense has to play better.”

You get the picture.