[News] Olli Jokinen talks about his career

[Frank MetaMusil]

Anyhow, back to Jokinen. He was never the same guy after accidentally slicing Zednik's neck.

His blown shootout attempt allowed the Flyers into the playoffs, which they turned into a finals appearance.

I liked Jokinen's personality, but do not miss his aimless swooping around the ice and horrible angle shots on goal.

[Tyler]

There is just something inherently unlikable about Jokinen as a player. Can't put my finger on it, but it's there. He seems like an overall decent guy off the ice.

[Hugh Jahrmes]

Originally Posted by Frank MetaMusil

Anyhow, back to Jokinen. He was never the same guy after accidentally slicing Zednik's neck.

These things get mentioned in passing, but I think scenarios like this should be keyed in on as a way to humanize players. Often fans don't seem to empathize with guys because, hey, you're a very well compensated individual, but at the end of the day a traumatic experience is a traumatic experience. I'm sure the experts will all agree there is no legit way to quantify the impact stuff can have because it varies so wildly from person to person.

I remember watching Joker's point totals, and not getting s chance to see him in action enough to see what made him effective, CONSTANTLY ran through scenarios in my head that briught him to the Flames. Sutter this, budget concerns that.. Pretty sure that CP collectively used sheer willpower to force that first trade. Unfortunately he was already nowhere near the dominant player we'd hoped for.

[Saqe]

The bad wrap about Jokinen might go back to the days when he first came to the nhl, he was a total ###### in Finland. Don't know if it was Rob Blake etc. in LA that straightened him up or Keenan but his attitude changed 180 degrees for the better.

I have friends who are not so into hockey but still remember how OJ was back then and think he still is the same guy with a piss poor attitude. And hate him for that.

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by Flash Walken

Did other centres have little opportunity to become his linemates because Conroy was so good or because Iginla didn't have chemistry with anyone else?

If that is the case, why was the popular refrain from Flames fans circa 2003-2012 that the team needs to find a centre for Iginla to play with?

Is this just yet another "lets crap on Iginla because we can" post? Have you actually looked at the centres we had over that time? Conroy got so much time because he was the best of what we had and because Iginla carried him to a couple very good seasons. Daymond Langkow was a damn good centre in his own right (two 30 goal seasons while here), but by that time the "we need a centre for Iginla" refrain was so entrenched that only a superstar name would have satisfied that itch - even if that player managed no better than Langkow.

[MrMastodonFarm]

Anyone that was halfway serviceable as a top two line guy I Iginla played well with.

Damn him for not being able to elevate Ronald Petrovicky and Jamie Wright into superstar status.

[Igottago]

Originally Posted by Frank MetaMusil

I liked Jokinen's personality, but do not miss his aimless swooping around the ice and horrible angle shots on goal.

Jokinen was amazing at gaining the zone and then doing nothing useful with the puck.

Good guy, but I think you'd have to categorize him as a bust in Calgary -- came nowhere near filling that #1 centre hole on the team.

[Flames Fan, Ph.D.]

Add me to the camp that gets angry reading about that drinking melee prior to game 5 in Chicago.

Players are human beings and have every right to drink if they want to. But you can't put it on hold for a couple of days prior to a Stanley Cup playoff game?

Weak.

[Frank MetaMusil]

Originally Posted by troutman

Later we found out half the team had been drinking for two days. The sun is shining and the terrace's are open, it was such a big disappointment to hear after the season, that some guys had had something else in mind.

Was there a party atmosphere on the team going back to 2004? Did that cost them some wins?

[Coach]

^^^ With Dion in the picture, it's most definitely not 2004.

That said, Kipper can do what ever the f*** he wants.

[Flash Walken]

The first 4-5 games after joining the team, Jokinen made me think Calgary were cup contenders.

That loss to chicago stunk at the time but it stinks even more now.

[dino7c]

many of the guys on the 04 team partied throughout the whole playoffs...Kipper was hammered had cowboys pretty much every night

[CaptainYooh]

Excellent posting, thank you OP.

The article reads very sincere and honest. I believed most of the facts; even though I acknowledge that they could be a bit embellished by Ollie's perspective and bias.

Everything he says about Keenan is definitely accurate and it corroborates with other players' account of Keenan's style. Warrener even said it on radio how Keenan used to screw with player's minds by making vicious calls sending them packing in the middle of the night and then calling them back only to send them back packing again in the same day! He is an utter a...hole as a person; akin to Victor Tikhonov, who was universally hated by all Soviet players (and is still hated by the KHL players).

I do remember the loss to Chicago, it was difficult to explain at that time considering how strong Flames were then. Yes, there were injuries but it felt like there was something else nevertheless. Ollie's recollection adds more questions than answers though.

Regarding "love and hate" for Ollie: I didn't hate his play but I didn't like it either. He had amazing puck control skills and always brought the puck into the zone. But then he would start skating with it and skating with it and passing it and passing it some more. I remember someone shouting from the stands: "Pass it some more, Joker!" and people laughing around, as this had become a popular theme. He would have thrived with a puck-control team, like Detroit, I think. He could have been an excellent and productive player with smooth European players on the line.

Anyway, very interesting read. Thanks again.

[Benched]

Originally Posted by Frank MetaMusil

I like the I <3 tits sign

[SuperMatt18]

That 09 team was a good team but they got injured at the wrong time, and IMO Kipper didn't do them any favors in game 5 and 6.

Regehr, Phaneuf, and Sarich were either playing hurt or didn't play at all.

By game 6 the Flames had Aucoin, Sarich, Leopold, Pardy, Eriksson, Vandermeer as their top 6 d-men.

Even then the Flames outshot the Hawks 44-16 in game 6 but Kipper had a .800 save percentage in game 6 (following up a .778 in game 5).

Plus that was a young Hawks team, but you look at that roster and it was stacked.

[GreenLantern2814]

Originally Posted by Resolute 14

Is this just yet another "lets crap on Iginla because we can" post? Have you actually looked at the centres we had over that time? Conroy got so much time because he was the best of what we had and because Iginla carried him to a couple very good seasons. Daymond Langkow was a damn good centre in his own right (two 30 goal seasons while here), but by that time the "we need a centre for Iginla" refrain was so entrenched that only a superstar name would have satisfied that itch - even if that player managed no better than Langkow.

The "Iggy is tough to play with" argument is tough to shake for two reasons (though no less untrue), and Jokinen is one of them. Jokinen was the only guy the Flames ever acquired who was a bonafide #1C prior to arriving. Langkow was a good player who had some excellent years with us. Conroy is the same player, maybe a little better.

More than anyone I blame Crosby for Iggy being 'hard to play against'. Golden goal aside, a 32-year old Iggy and Sid at the Olympics didn't come close to meeting people's expectations. In Pittsburgh, the magic never materialised despite good stats and a trip to the conference finals.

If anyone should be getting #### on in this thread for being hard to play with, it's Sid. Dude seems incapable of playing at a 100-point pace with other 100-point players. He needs his linemates to come to the rink on a short bus.

[cannon7]

I think Keenan's stint with the Flames was a de-clawed version. I think being drummed out of the league for several years before joining the Flames softened Keenan up considerably and discipline suffered as a result. I remember that photo circulating around that time of Kipper, Dion and I forget who else drinking and smoking at a bar somewhere and the fans reaction. The Keenan version of the Flames was a fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants kind of play, they went into games with seemingly the only strategy being that the Flames would just outscore the opposition. Can't really say defensive play was a priority with that group. And the fans put up with it because the 2006 edition of the Flames, which was arguably the tightest defensive performance the Flames have ever had didn't pan out either. Considering Sutter and Keenan's reputations, it's amazing what the team got away with at that time. I remember that game in the regular season when the Flames went up 5-0 against the Blackhawks and lost 6-5. It wasn't until that ten game losing streak that it all came crashing down.

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by nfotiu

...he is striking me as one of those holier than though recovering alcoholics. Because he had problems with the bottle, he sees everyone else who has a couple drinks as having a problem too.

What specifically about the following sentences sparks this intuition on your part?

Originally Posted by Olli Jokinen

"Fifth game was in Chicago. We went there a couple of days early. Later we found out half the team had been drinking for two days. The sun is shining and the terraces are open, it was such a big disappointment to hear after the season, that some guys had had something else in mind. Big disappointment for the organisation and the fans."

It sounds to me like you have drawn this conclusion from nothing other than that Jokinen once had a drinking problem, and now does not.

[AC]

Yeah the assertion that Iggy is tough to play with isn't all that strong when you look at the list now.

Though I also think its fair to say he did not have any particular chemistry with some big name players either. Drury, Bertuzzi, Cammalleri (outside of the first year where Iggy became the assist guy), and Jokinen. Also Crosby as mentioned.

Seems like Iggy required a specific type of player to gel with, and they usually weren't bonafide #1 line players oddly enough.

[heep223]

Originally Posted by AC

Seems like Iggy required a specific type of player to gel with, and they usually weren't bonafide #1 line players oddly enough.

When did he play with bonafide #1 line players?