After winning the pre-season Pitsiturnaus on home ice, Lukko Rauma's Aaron Gagnon and Rasmus Rinne spoke about the upcoming season, beginning with the Champions Hockey League group stage in less than two weeks. 

by Timo Simila

RAUMA – The 4th annual Pitsiturnaus pre-season tournament took place on Friday, and 5,000 cheering fans cheered Lukko Rauma to victory on their home ice. One of the team’s key forwards is Aaron Gagnon, who stated that the CHL is a valuable and essential part of their season and Lukko will come out strong against Lulea Hockey and Fribourg-Gotteron in the preliminary round. However, right now the games are just about getting the team to be playing the way it should when the games get important.

“I don’t think it’s necessary just preparing for the CHL,” the experienced Canadian centre explained. “We've got to focus on our own team, just getting ready for the season now and getting ourselves to best shape. We are using CHL to start our season with and we try to work hard in those games but our main focus is here with our team.”

Last year Gagnon led Lukko offensively with 11 points (4 + 7) in 10 CHL games, and this year he looking forward to going head-to-head against European top teams and especially last year’s champions from Lulea, but Gagnon is not yet reaching to take the European Trophy out from the hands of the Swedes. Yet. 

“We are a really good group this year. We played Lulea last year and ended up winning (the group), so… It’ll be fun. There will be some good competition and playing against good teams,” Gagnon added. 
 
For Lukko, like many other teams, the Pitsiturnaus represented their first pre-season games and a perfect opportunity to try out new players and shake up old routines and line-ups without taking risks. One of the new players in Lukko's blue and yellow is goaltender Rasmus Rinne. For this 25-year-old netminder Lukko is already a familiar team. He played for Lukko’s local rival Porin Assat for the past two seasons but is assuring everyone that he’s on good terms with old teammates after switching sides and displaying some fine netminding in the opening game against Assat.

“I’ve been waiting for this game against Assat. Lots of friends and a familiar game strategy. Winning definitely feels better than losing, no matter what club you’re playing for.”

Rinne is on the brink of his career breakthrough and current starting goalie Ryan Zapolski might have to really earn his position when the eager, tall youngster gets his game going.
 
Right now focus is on the team play and when the puck hits the ice 20 August in BCF Arena against Fribourg-Gotteron, Lukko want to be at their sharpest right from the get-go. 

“We’ll try to be ready when the CHL games start and of course our goal is to advance to the playoffs and win as much as possible. We just need to be a little bit more prepared than last year or at least be prepared much sooner than last season,” Rinne summed up.