Luleå Hockey and Tappara Tampere are the two teams that will line up for the Champions Hockey League Final on Saturday to battle it out for the title of European Champions.
For goaltender Joel Lassinantti, it will be his second CHL Final with the club, since he was on the team's roster all the way back in 2014/15 when the northenmost club of the Swedish Hockey League lifted the European Trophy high above their heads as CHL Champions.
Last season, the SHL club made it all the way to their domestic playoff finals, narrowly missing out on the title.
"There have been a lot of ups and downs this season"Joel Lassinantti, Luleå Hockey
"Last year was a really good season for us," started Luleå's Joel Lassinantti, "we played solid hockey all season long and get better and better as we went on. Even when we were down, we had a system we could trust."
This was one of their best showings in the last decade, but they've had trouble picking up where they left of this season.
"There have been a lot of ups and downs this season, but now we feel like we have come together," thinks Lassinantti.
In a season like this, Champions Hockey League games, which are most often played concurrently with domestic league games, can help kick-start a team on the down.
"I think it has been really positive thing for us this season," said Lassinantti, "CHL games have really helped us pick up when we have been having a tough time in the SHL."
Luleå enter the 2023 CHL Final unbeaten and as one of the strongest teams of the season. They've won 10 games and drawn two on their road to the ultimate all-or-nothing game.
"We've really been winning in the CHL this season!" acknowledged Lassinantti.
"The Final is going to be a challenging but important game for us"Joel Lassinantti, Luleå Hockey
Lassinantti, a Luleå native, has been with the club since the very start of his professional ice hockey career. 2014/15, the season Luleå lifted the European Trophy, was one of his first with the club's senior squad. What does the now 30-year-old remember from that year?
"Of course!" he quickly said, "it was my first season with the first team and winning the CHL was my first title. The best feeling was playing in front of our home fans."
How has the CHL as a competition grown over the eight years?
"Well the 2015 Final was the first season, so it was new for everyone, but now everyone goes in 100% and wants to win," said Lassinantti.
"I enjoy playing teams from other countries. This year we went on a really great away trip to Prague to face Sparta Prague. We played Jukurit first on Friday, then in Prague on Sunday. It was a really good road trip early on in the season and great for the team to get together," mentioned Lassinantti.
"In my first year we played in Nottingham in England, that was fun. You can play hockey in all sorts of places!" he remembered.
Lassinantti has played a combined 30 games on the pan-European stage but has mostly left the netminding duties to teammate Matteus Ward. At just 21 years old, the youngster has been nominated for the CHL's prestigious LGT MVP Award and has been a big reason behind Luleå's success in 2022/23.
"Matteus is a young talented goalie," started Lassinantti, "he's really helped us a lot with great performances. He really stepped up in the Semi-Finals against Frölunda - he's one of the reasons we're in the Final"
The hosting rights for the ultimate game of the season were awarded to Luleå due to their superior points record.
"It's great we can have all our family and friends in the stands, last time it was a full house and the atmosphere was amazing - a memory for life for me," remembered Lassinantti.
What does he expect from Tappara?
"Tappara are a tough team, they have some really good players. It’s going to be a challenging but important game for us. There’s a lot to play for," ended Lassinantti.
Luleå Hockey will face Tappara Tampere in the ultimate one-game CHL Final in Luleå, Sweden on 18 February 2023 at 16:20 CET.