After tying the second leg of their CHL Semi-Final with Lukko Rauma to advance to the Final, young defenceman Markus Nutivaara was chosen the team's best player of the game. He spoke afterward about the game, the season and his development as a player.

by Miikka Jarvenpaa and Derek O'Brien

OULU – Last season, defenceman Markus Nutivaara played his first 35 Liiga games and recorded 2 assists, and also had 1 assist in 6 Champions Hockey League contests. In the playoffs he showed more of an offensive spark, registering 1 goal and 5 assists in 16 games, helping Karpat Oulu win the Finnish championship. This season, the 21-year-old has exploded offensively with 20 points (5 + 15) in 40 Liiga games and 9 points (4 + 5) in 12 CHL games, putting him near the top in both competitions in terms of scoring by defencemen. He also earned his first selection to the Finnish national team, playing at the Channel One Cup in Prague and Moscow in December, where he scored 1 goal in 3 games.

On Tuesday, he figured in on both of Karpat's goals – assisting on Jesse Puljujarvi's power-play goal in the second period and scoring the second goal in the third period on a one-timer slapper after a set-up from Puljujarvi. After the game – a 2–2 tie with Lukko Rauma to put the team into the CHL Final – he was selected Karpat's best player of the game.

Were you the best player on the ice, in your opinion?

“No.”

Who was?

“Haha, I don’t know.”

Could you describe the 2–1 goal that you scored?

“Pulju (Puljujarvi) played well. He deked the whole Lukko five apart. I just had to wait and be ready to shoot. He passed the puck and I got the shot away. I saw room in the back corner. I think the puck had contact with (Mika) Pyorala or a Lukko defenceman. It hit something anyway. Luckily it went in.”

Have you gained more confidence during the season? It sure looks like that.

“Not sure about the confidence. It was fine right from the start but I’ve been more calm and have made fewer turnovers and bad plays.”

Where do you think that confidence comes from?

“I don’t know. It’s just me.”

Did you gain more confidence from your first national team selection?

“Yeah, I got more confidence and strength in battling and scrambling.”

Where does that puck-handling skill come from?

“Hard work daily. The moves come from that and instinct. I’ve trained hard.”

What kind of a journey has the CHL been so far? Last year you were eliminated in the Semi-Finals. This time you get to play the Final here on home ice. Your thoughts on that?

“I’ve always liked the CHL, and now we’re in the Final! Last year we were eliminated in the semis by Frolunda. I don’t know how the games have gone there but I hope that it’s Frolunda that we’re playing against. It will be great.”

NOTE: The Karpat–Lukko game was played before Frolunda–Davos, so Karpat’s opponent in the final was not yet known at the time of the interview. It will be Frolunda who visit Oulu for the CHL Final on 9 February at 18:30 EET, 17:30 CET.