Teppo Numminen

News Conference from Feb. 7, 2002

Teppo Numminen took part in an NHL conference call on Thursday, Feb. 7. Numminen is in his 14th NHL season, all with the Coyotes franchise, and is in his first season as team captain. He tallied seven goals, 18 assists for 25 points in 49 games, including four game-winning goals, tying him for the team lead with rookie Krys Kolanos.

Numminen's Olympic ties go back even further. His father was the coach of the Finnish national team, behind the bench when the U.S. defeated Finland to win the gold medal in 1980 at Lake Placid.

Question: The Canadian team, a number of them have said unless they win gold, it's just not good enough. You won a silver and a bronze. Is a medal good enough or does the Finnish team have to win gold?

Numminen: I think the medal is huge for us. I think the Finnish people know how good teams are there. If you get a medal, that's huge.

Q: When a guy like Steve Yzerman says gold is only good enough, and you've won two medals, how good does it feel to win a medal?

Numminen: Especially in Nagano, when all the best players were there, to win a medal there was a big thing. It's different if the NHL players are not there. Then you just have to win the gold. But just to get a medal in a tournament when all the best players are there, it's a big thing.

Q: What was it like in the earlier Olympics? What do you remember about the atmosphere, how it differed, and what do you expect this time?

Numminen: Well, my first Olympics was in Calgary. I was 19. It was just another tournament. I just went there because they asked me and didn't really think about much of it. You know, just had a good time, and so on. In Nagano, I guess I respected more the chance to go and play for your country. The older you get, the more appreciation you have for your medals and for the chance to play.

Q: What do you anticipate in terms of hockey, atmosphere? We've seen changes in Salt Lake because of what happened in New York.

Numminen: I think it's going to be really an exciting event. People are really going to be pumped up for it. When I did the torch run here in Phoenix, where we have no winter sports, we had lots of people in the streets and everybody was cheering. It's going to be an exciting event. I think it's going to be a good thing for the United States and for people to cheer.

Q: What was it like carrying the torch?

Numminen: That was a special moment. It was a great honor. You know, it was an exciting day. I thought nobody would be there, but the streets were full of people and everybody was cheering.

Q: With all your experience in the Olympics, what can you bring as far as experience to the team for some of the younger guys playing?

Numminen: It's so short of a time. You have to get to know your teammates, get everybody to feel good about themselves, be part of the team. Just try to talk to everybody, get everybody in a good mood. I think that's a big thing, the team spirit and atmosphere around the room.

It's going to be huge. It's a short, quick tournament. Everybody has to be on the same page.

Q: Are you guys going to stay in the Olympic village? Did you stay in the village in Nagano in '98? Did you enjoy the experience?

Numminen: Yeah, I think we're going to stay there again. In Nagano we stayed in the village. I think it was a good arrangement. You're with the other athletes. You're eating in the same cafeterias, buffets. So I think that's the way to go. It's a part of the Olympic tradition.

Q: Where is hockey in Finland? Is it up there with ski jumping? There must be other sports in Finland behind ski jumping and hockey.

Numminen: There's some skiers. I think hockey is the biggest thing. I think ski jumping used to be huge, but I don't think they've done that well lately. But hockey, ski jumping and skiing, those are the main things. But I think that hockey is the most followed.

Q: Can you reflect on your career? You seem to be the most unheralded defenseman in the league. What was it like for a Finn to be named captain of an NHL team?

Numminen: Well, it was a great thing to happen, to be a captain here. There's not many chances to be a captain. It's a great honor. I never thought I'd be a captain in the NHL.

About my career, I'm just who I am and I just play. That's about it.

Q: What are your thoughts about playing in a tournament without a red line? Do you think Finland is the type of team that can capitalize on the opportunity given that setup?

Numminen: I never played without a red line, so I think there's going to be players in the Finnish league that haven't tried it. It's going to be a different thing. It's going to be interesting how that's going to change the game. I don't know. I think maybe half the teams have played without the red line and half the teams, like our team, haven't. I don't think it's going to help us. The U.S. team, do they have a line in college hockey?

Q: No.

Numminen: The U.S. players must be the strongest with that. They have the advantage there.

Q. With the different angles of attack as a result of having a wider ice rink, some goalies have told me they think they need to play a little bit further out from the net, maybe a foot or something like that. Is there a change in playing defense with a wider rink and different angles of attack? Finland is considered maybe the third best team in women's hockey. Do you see any chance for the Finnish women's team to crack into the gold or silver? Do you know anyone on that team? Will you be rooting for them?

Numminen: Playing defense on the bigger ice surface, it's just angles. It's something you have to get used to, then it comes naturally. I think you need a couple games, a couple practices just to know where you're standing, where your net is. Skating backwards, you've got to know where the goal is behind you. So it takes a couple practices, at least one game to know where you're standing, what your angles are, how far away you are from the net. You've got to be around your net for the rebounds, for the angles to play the forward. I think it's going to take a couple shifts or a couple games to get used to that.

Women's hockey, it's a big, big thing in Finland. Lots of girls play. They always have a good team. I think hopefully they can surprise and be in the gold medal game.

 

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