HELSINKI – Finland’s centre Jarkko Immonen is not one to look for the limelight, if anything, he shies away from it, which made it all the more special to have him answer to your questions. Simply because he doesn’t take that lightly. IIHF.com sat down with Immonen and posed your questions to him. This is what the 2011 World Championship leading goal scorer had to say.

Based on your recent experience, what do you think of the Slovak team? (Marek Selnekovic, Trnava, Slovakia)
It’s a really good team, they have a lot of skill, and a lot of really fast guys. 

What is your favourite road city to visit in the KHL, and why? (Marcus Anderson, Boston, Massachusetts, USA)
St. Petersburg, it’s a great city and the atmosphere in the arena is fantastic. Same with Riga, so those two are my favourites. The cities are nice but we don’t have a lot of time to see the sights.

If you could be any other ice hockey player in the world, just for a day, who would you pick? Would it be a superstar like Crosby or a goalie like Kiprusoff? (Jessica Simmons, Birmingham, Great Britain)
I think I’d be Teemu Selänne. And if I can choose, maybe on an off day, too. He’s got all those cars that I could try out.

What is first thing to watch when going one-on-one to a goalie? (Kaido Kariste, Estonia)
The first thing is simply to see where there’s space, and how to get the goalie to move. If there’s a hole somewhere, try to get the puck there. Often it’s good to get puck high.

Finland has quite an impressive record in ice hockey tournaments, especially for such a small nation. How much of this success is due to the quality of youth hockey programs in Finland? (Mark Deming, Boston, USA)
I think the Finnish system is good, the community is a tight-knit group, and people work together. I think that’s the secret.

One of your teammates at Ak Bars Kazan is fellow centre and countryman Niko Kapanen. How has he helped you become the player you are right now? (Adam Peleshaty, Stonewall, Manitoba, Canada)
Interesting, not sure what to say. [Laughs]. All kidding aside, he was really helpful when I first got to Russia where everything was new to me.

Who's the best player you’ve played with? Who's the best coach you’ve had? (Anton Rosendahl, Skellefteå, Sweden)
Niko Kapanen. [Laughs] I guess I’d have … to … say, I think I’ll have to say Jaromir Jagr, I played a little on the same line with him, he is probably the most skilled player I’ve played with. As for the coach, maybe this will help me get some more ice time here: Jukka Jalonen [head coach of Team Finland].

You always showed potential and talent as a young player trying out for the Leafs and Rangers. Do you feel as though you could still make an impact in the NHL someday? (Stan Mikaline, Toronto, Canada & Michael Walsh, Hartford, CT, USA via Twitter)
It’s hard to say. I mean, of course I’m interested on some level, but I can’t say that there has been a lot of interest, so it’s not something I think about every day.

Why do you wear number 26? (Elina Lazdina, Talsi, Latvia)
When I first was brought up to the SaPKo men’s team [his alma mater in Savonlinna, Finland], Finnish Division I, they just gave me that number. I don’t even remember the number I had before that. I had 12 at some point, but I’ve mostly just played with whatever the team has given me.

Who would you like to play against in the finals and why? (Andreas Hibler, Munich, Germany, via Facebook)
Sweden would be really nice. It’d be great to meet them in the final on our home ice.

What is your best hockey memory in your career? (Anssi Sysi-Aho, Finland, via Facebook)
The World Championship last year, and the KHL championship. And the Finnish championship. Every time you can win something with a team.

Who was your hockey idol when you were growing up? (Ville Karppa, Glasgow, Great Britain, via Twitter)
[Thinks]. Difficult, but here’s a good one. Pat LaFontaine. I’m not really sure why but I did have his hockey card. Maybe I liked him because nobody else had that card, or maybe it was just that I liked the name. It’s a great hockey name.

Last year, you scored two identical goals that were set up by Mikael Granlund. Had you practiced that or did you just improvise? (Oskari Rinne, Parkano)
Yes, we had. A little. It was special to have those two in the same game but we have a few alternatives we can try.

Do you ever think about returning to JYP Jyväskylä, your former team in Finland? (Mirjami Pyykkö, Finland)
Sure. It would have been nice to be this year when they won the Finnish championship. Maybe I’ll come back one day.

How did you become a hockey player? (Virpi Valkeapää, Finland)
My first-grade teacher became the coach of the local team, and it was the first time that club had had a team for such young kids. He asked me to come along, and my friends joined as well.

What went through your head when you saw Granlund’s goal against Russia last year? (Joachim Harald, Pedersöre, Finland)
I didn’t see what really had happened until I saw it on the big screen. What a great goal it was. I also realized quickly that he’d be in trouble with all the attention he’d get for that. [Laughs]. Kids are practising the move everywhere now but they shouldn’t do it too much. You don’t see many goals scored that way.

People from Savonia have a reputation of being “sneaky” in Finland, it’s hard to get a yes or no from them. Does that work for your advantage in the national team? (Juha-Matti Maaninka, Hyvinkää, Finland)
Tough one. I mean, I am from Savonia for sure. I don’t know what to say … maybe that’s it. Maybe the fact that people from Savonia are comfortable being always in the middle, so we get well along with everybody.

Would you rather play with Antti Virtanen and Tuomas Pihlman (as you did in JYP) or Mikael Granlund and Janne Pesonen, your linemates in the national team? (Annukka Göös, Finland)
I love playing with all of them.

A few years ago, you said in a Russian TV show that not all Finns sing well. Who’s your favourite Finnish singer? (Nadja Zhukova, Moscow, Russia)
Toni Wirtanen from Apulanta.

We haven’t seen the Granlund - Immonen magic act yet. Do you think the other teams have studied your power play? Do you have any new tricks up your sleeve? (Matti Ripattila, Finland)
Nothing magical, but we try different alternatives, and new ideas all the time.

Who picks the roommates for you? And do you then have the same one when you play in the national team the next time? (Roosa Mattila, Grenoble, France, via Facebook)
I think it’s our team manager Timo Jutila. And it basically stays the same, I guess they think it’ll help us. Mine is Niko Kapanen, I don’t know what I’ve done to deserve that. [Laughs again].

What are the things you don’t like about practice? (Pekka Laakkonen, Finland)
Running. Skating without the puck.

Does a hockey player ever dream about hockey? (Mika Salonen, Tampere, Finland)
I guess hockey players dream about hockey, but I don’t.

What do you do outside the rink, after the games? (Ari Lepistö, Helsinki, Finland)
In the World Championships, there’s not a lot of time to just hang out. Sometimes you can go to the movies or go for a cup of coffee. We mostly use the free time to rest and eat.

How did it feel to nail Zdeno Chara? A dream come true? (Vesa Janhunen, Finland, via Facebook)
Well … it was more of a shove …. It wasn’t a dream come true. It’s fun to catch somebody with a good hit, but that wasn’t a big deal.

You have won the Finnish championship, the KHL championship, and the World Championship. What would winning the Stanley Cup mean to you? (Björn Boström, Finland, via Twitter)
It’s the biggest thing you can win in hockey. It’s so difficult to win.

How does the arena atmosphere affect the players? (Amanada Melender, Finland, via Facebook)
If there’s nobody in the stands, the game also loses energy. Even the visiting team gets energy but obviously, it’s great to play in front of our home crowd here, and it certainly gives a boost to the players.

What’s the secret of your fantastic shot? What’s your favourite band? (Aleksi Ventelä, Finland, via Twitter)
There’s no big secret. You just have to shoot a lot and practice. Gotta make sure to get a quick shot on goal, that’s a good start. Favourite band? Apulanta.

RISTO PAKARINEN