Emil Oksanen is in his first season with the Regina Pats.
The rookie, from Kirkkonummi, Finland has registered 14 points in his first 7 games in the Western Hockey League.
Two points a game is impressive right out of the gate, but Pats management said it hasn’t come as a total surprise to those that have had a chance to see him play over the past two years.
“We actually looked at him last year before the import draft, so there was a little familiarity with him,” said Pats assistant coach and general manager Dave Struch.
“What he has done to this point has been really good for us.”
“A lot of times when you get these older players that have been through the Finish, Swedish systems they know the game really well, they’ve gotten some good coaching, so when they get here they know a lot about it”, Struch added.
“It’s just a matter of seeing whet their instincts are and putting them in the right place.”
One of the hurdles for import players is getting adjusted to their new surroundings, the new cultures, and of course speaking English.
Oksanen’s English is getting better every day.
Being exposed to a variety of media, and just being around his teammates in the locker room helps.
“It has been six weeks since I came here, and it was a bit difficult, but I am getting better all the time,”Oksanen said.
He is performing well on the ice, and so far, the climate and the food is agreeing with him.
“I think it is kind of the same as Finland. It is cold here, and the food is almost the same so it is been pretty easy,” Oksanen said.
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