Why has no ice hockey player ever won Finnish Sports Personality of the Year?

[jimmysheva]

Finnish Sports Personality of the Year - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

You'd think Teemu Selanne would at least win one.

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[FiLe]

Because the annual award is granted to an athlete who pulled off the most impressive sports feat that year. Most winners are either Olympic or World Champions in individual sports - on leaner years, someone winning any medal may have potted it. An athlete in team sports is considered if they achieve something that is considered highly unusual by Finnish standards. For example, Lauri Markkanen (basketball player) won one because he was the first Finn to appear in the NBA all-star game. Lukas Hradecky (soccer player) won it after backstopping Finland to the country's first UEFA Euro final tournament, along with becoming the first Finnish Bundesliga starting goalie.

Teemu Selänne's biggest achievement was the Stanley Cup in 2007. And what are Stanley Cup champions by Finnish standards? A commendable achievement, but nothing THAT special. Tero Pitkämäki, the winner in 2007, won the javelin throw gold medal in the World Athletics Championships that year. While Finns are known to be pretty mean javelin throwers, it is still a rarer achievement than winning the Stanley Cup - while a Finn doesn't win the Cup every year, the chance of one hoisting it is still higher than one picking up a gold in track & field.

Furthermore, let's say the Finnish hockey team achieves something historic, like the first World title in 1995 or the first Olympic gold in 2022. Even then, the win was a team effort and it would have been extremely difficult to single out just one standout player who contributed more than the rest.

 

[HaNotsri]

Because the annual award is granted to an athlete who pulled off the most impressive sports feat that year. Most winners are either Olympic or World Champions in individual sports - on leaner years, someone winning any medal may have potted it. An athlete in team sports is considered if they achieve something that is considered highly unusual by Finnish standards. For example, Lauri Markkanen (basketball player) won one because he was the first Finn to appear in the NBA all-star game. Lukas Hradecky (soccer player) won it after backstopping Finland to the country's first UEFA Euro final tournament, along with becoming the first Finnish Bundesliga starting goalie.

Teemu Selänne's biggest achievement was the Stanley Cup in 2007. And what are Stanley Cup champions by Finnish standards? A commendable achievement, but nothing THAT special. Tero Pitkämäki, the winner in 2007, won the javelin throw gold medal in the World Athletics Championships that year. While Finns are known to be pretty mean javelin throwers, it is still a rarer achievement than winning the Stanley Cup - while a Finn doesn't win the Cup every year, the chance of one hoisting it is still higher than one picking up a gold in track & field.

Furthermore, let's say the Finnish hockey team achieves something historic, like the first World title in 1995 or the first Olympic gold in 2022. Even then, the win was a team effort and it would have been extremely difficult to single out just one standout player who contributed more than the rest.

76 goals as a rookie is his best achievement.

 

[Albatros]

along with becoming the first Finnish Bundesliga starting goalie.

Kari Laukkanen, Stuttgarter Kickers 1988/89. Also Olli Isoaho, Arminia Bielefeld first half season 1982/83.