With the Champions Hockey League quarter-finals fast approaching, two-time defending Finnish champions Karat Oulu will be without some of their best players against league rivals Espoo Blues. Most significantly, leading scorer Mika Pyorala will miss both games.
by Miikka Jarvenpaa
OULU – Karpat Oulu will soon face the Espoo Blues in the CHL quarter-finals. Although they are considered heavy favourites over the 14th-placed team in the Finnish league, the reigning Finnish League champions will have to face the Blues without some of their best players.
Cramo Top Scorer Mika Pyorala, who has 8 points (4 + 4) in 8 CHL games, was injured in a Liiga game against Assat Pori last Friday. Karpat staff did not reveal the specifics of the injury but the 34-year-old winger is likely to be sidelined for one month. Pyorala was crucial for Karpat in their victory against Sparta Prague in the previous stage, scoring the winning goal with less than a minute to play.
Last Wednesday Karpat forward Sebastian Aho was in the recieving end of an unlucky deflection in the last second of play against Lukko Rauma. The 18-year-old super-prospect, who is the team's No. 2 CHL point-getter after Pyorala with 6 (3 + 3) in 6 games, got the puck in the back of his head right under the helmet and was knocked unconcious. The knock looked extremely bad at first, but Aho has already begun light on-ice training. He will not participate in the two-game road trip starting Wednesday with games against TPS Turku and IFK Helsinki. His status for Tuesday's first quarter-final game in Espoo is questionable.
Defenceman Mikko Niemela suffered an injury prior the match against HPK Hameenlinna on 14 November. Niemela is not expected to play before Christmas. Additionally, goaltender Sami Aittokallio, who has 5 shutouts in 7 CHL appearances, is out for two weeks and is likely miss the first round in the CHL quarter-finals. Fortunately, veteran goalie Iiro Tarkki, who missed much of the early part of the season with an injury, now seems to be in fine form, and was strong in the clinching game against Sparta.