Canada meets Finland

12.02.2022, RNK Flyers

Kuva: Timo Kupiainen 

 

Excited was an understatement when we made the decision to come to Finland to play this season. When our country first shut down in March 2020 due to COVID, little did we know that would mean not playing the game we love for 2 years. With practices being few and far in-between, and no games allowed, it was easy to become discouraged as ringette athletes, as there was no season championship to strive for.

With the continued uncertainty of the 2021-2022 season in Canada, we knew it was the perfect opportunity to come to Finland and try something new. Little did we know not only would we get to play in a league that is full of talented athletes, but we were also coming to play with some of the most supportive and encouraging teammates we have been lucky enough to played with.

From the first ice time where we got to meet the team, we have felt so accepted. We would be lying if we said we were not nervous to get started with RNK and moving across the world, away from our families and home associations. However, we were welcomed with open arms and many words of encouragement at that first practice that helped put our nerves at ease. Thanks to the help and support of our amazing teammates and team staff, it didn’t take long for us to feel at home.

Heading into the first game, we didn’t know what to expect. We learned very quickly thedifferences between the Canadian NRL and Finnish SM-League. In Finland, the gamesare longer, the ice surface is bigger, the game is played very differently, and even the clocks count up and not down (initially confusing to these Canadian brains). Off ice, it was a whole new world. In Canada, due to it being geographically so large, we don’t have the luxury of playing every weekend or getting to play every team in the league. Due to usually travelling by plane, we only get to play once a month, against one team,where we play them 4 times in one weekend. We have both enjoyed playing most weekends and getting to play all the SM teams multiple times. We also like this style of league as the weekly bus trips have been great bonding opportunities. Frequently this time is spent helping us learn Finnish, often creating lots of laughter due to our mispronunciations and the inability for us to roll our “R”.

We are so thankful we get to experience these differences firsthand. We’ve enjoyed every minute of being in Finland, especially watching our new teammates turn into life-long friends. This opportunity has allowed us to grow as athletes and as humans and have enjoyed experiencing the Finnish way of life.Training with our hardworking RNK teammates and playing against the best teams in Finland has been a fun and rewarding challenge to us both. We look forward to the rest of this round’s games, as we get close to the playoffs. Every season has its ups and downs, but we have confidence in our team and remain trusting in our team’s ability to be successful. This season has been a once in a lifetime experience and we plan to make the most of it, leaving it all on the ice before we have to say goodbye.

- Torrie Shennan and Kiana Heska