Tappara's new right winger Tyler Kelleher is originally from Massachusetts in the United States, has spent the last four years playing in Europe. He played one year in Germany, then three years in Sweden.
During this time, he averaged a bit over 0.5 ppg during the regular season but almost double that during the playoffs.
He watched the IIHF Men's World Championship on television and can't wait to experience to atmosphere of the arena as a player.
− It says a lot about the city of Tampere and the Nokia Arena that next year's tournament will once again be played in Tampere, he said.
He has noticed a difference in the energy of fans in each country that he has played within during his career.
− Finland is a country with a lot of hockey traditions that I look forward to experiencing during the season.
Ice hockey has been described as the ultimate team sport by some.
− I would agree with that because you can't do anything out there by yourself. I enjoy being at the rink with my teammates. It is very important to be a team that gets along well both on and off the ice.
Kelleher getting accustomed to team and city
Currently he is getting to know his teammates and the city as he has been in Finland for only about two weeks.
− The team becomes your best friends and your family, which leads to better team chemistry and winning more games. It is what makes hockey so fun.
Tyler has learned a lot about the winning tradition surrounding the team and feels that it is an honour to play for the club. He has high expectations for the season and is excited to play in Nokia Arena.
− My goal is to take it day by day and do whatever I can to help the team while having fun and getting better each day, said Kelleher.
He looks forward to playing on the different sized ice surfaces. It could be an advantage for him since ice size does not matter. The upcoming season will allow him to put that versatility to good use.
− I am used to playing on different sized ice surfaces and feel at home on the ice no matter the size of the rink. Smaller ice surfaces can lead to a faster game, but larger ice surfaces allow for more room to move.
He is excited for the rivalry game this weekend against Ilves and hopes that a lot of fans are present. It will be his first game action as the team adjusts to one another in their quest for another Canada Cup (Kanada-malja).
