PWHL Minnesota forward Susanna Tapani wasn’t playing hockey last season, though she didn’t take a break from skating or scoring goals — the Finn did plenty of both while playing ringette.
But when the PWHL started up in January with a promise of a salary and a professional environment, it lured the 30-year-old back into hockey. This past September, Minnesota drafted Tapani 25th overall. She’s the only Finnish-born player in the league.
Tapani has long been a dual-sport star, and she’s more decorated in ringette than in hockey, judging on the colour of the hardware. She owns five world championship gold medals in ringette, the most recent coming in 2022. In hockey, she’s a two-time Olympic bronze medallist, and owns a world championship silver and four world bronze medals.
On a recent off-day, Tapani took time to talk to Sportsnet about juggling both sports for so long, how she’s finding the experience in Minnesota so far, and what the existence of the PWHL will do for hockey in Finland.
SPORTSNET: What went into the decision to put a pause on hockey last season?
TAPANI: I’ve been playing both sports since I started playing hockey, and it’s very hard because the games are all at the same time. I’ve always played half ringette and half hockey. Always. But last season I decided to focus only on ringette. But now it’s hockey’s turn [laughs].
What has it been like adapting back to hockey?
I think it took me a while since I didn’t play at all last season. But I think I’m adapting pretty fast. It’s still there, I just had a little break. It took me a couple games to get into it, but I’m there now. And it’s been really fun. I’m super excited to play again. It’s much easier to focus on one sport, so I’m very excited and happy that I made that decision.
You scored your first and second goals of the season recently [both came in a Jan. 17 3-2 OT victory over Ottawa in which Tapani netted the winner]. What was that like?
Oh, that was awesome. Obviously, I had a couple chances before that, and that’s why I was kind of relieved to get the first one. It’s always fun to score. I think the first one is always the hardest one. And it’s always the one you actually remember, so it feels really good.
Where’s the puck?
It’s in my room here, but I will bring it home for sure. It has tape on it, and it says the date of the game and the score. It’s a very good memory.
Being the lone Finn in this league, have you been talking to other players back home about the experience?
Not yet, that much. I have spoken to a couple people — my cousin plays and she has had some questions, but I think everyone wants me to focus on playing first. Probably when I go back to Finland, I’ll get a lot of questions [laughs]. And that’s nice. I’ve done a couple interviews and I think people are very interested about the league.
What does the PWHL do for hockey in Finland?
It’s very big because we don’t have a professional [women’s] league in Finland. So, it’s going to be a big, big thing for the younger girls. Now, they have something other than the national team to dream of. I think we’re going to get a lot of new girls who want to start playing. It’s a very good thing.
When did you start playing hockey?
When I was 14, with the boys.
Wow, that’s kinda late.
It is late. I just didn’t know that girls can play hockey too. All the girls played ringette and only boys played hockey. But what happened is the boys didn’t have enough players, and they asked me if I wanted to come and try hockey, so I did when I was 14. I just loved it too and here I am [laughs]. But I had no clue that girls could play hockey too.
When did you start ringette?
I was probably five or six. My mom played, so I went there and played almost right away. It was always my dream to play in Canada’s league — they have a National Ringette League there. That was my dream to play when I was younger.
If they offered you the same amount of money to play there, would you do that instead of hockey?
[Laughs.] Well, that was always my dream. But this is pretty close. We’ll see what the future brings, but now I’m going to play hockey for at least this season and next season. [Tapani signed a two-year contract.] We’ll see what happens after that.
What do you think of Minnesota’s start so far? You’ve been in first place nearly all season.
Yeah, it’s been very good, actually. Obviously, we had a new coach just before the season started. [Charlie Burggraf stepped down a week before puck drop, and former NHLer Ken Klee took over.] It wasn’t the easiest start. But I think we have played very well and have just been developing our game, in every game we’ve played. So that’s been really good.
How about the fan reception in Minnesota?
It’s been amazing — even more than we expected. We get a lot of energy from them, and I think it makes it hard for teams to play in our building. It’s always super nice to play at home.
We’re only a month in, but how are you finding your skill development playing regularly in this environment?
I’ve played against a lot of my teammates for many years, when I play for the national team. So, I knew that they are super good, but it’s much different when we play on the same team. It’s super good for me because we practice almost every day so I can actually practise on that level, and I will get so much better during the season for sure.
You played in the pro Russian league [the Zhenskaya Hockey League] with the Vanke Rays, which was also a professional environment. How does the PWHL experience differ?
This rink here is so much smaller, so it changes your game a lot. And we didn’t have so many national team players there [in the Russian league], so it’s faster and more physical in the PWHL. The European style is different from that American style we play. It’s much different, actually.
Given how physical the play has been so far, how are you feeling a month into the season?
Pretty well. It’s easier here than at home, where I played both sports. I always had three or four games during the weekend, and we always played on Saturday and Sunday. I’m used to that. So here it actually feels easier for me, because I can actually recover and when I go on the ice for practice or a game, I’m actually 100-per cent ready for that. So, it’s like I can get more out of my body.
Let’s settle this. If you had to choose your favourite: ringette or hockey?
[Laughs.] They’re super different, so it’s hard to say. But I started playing ringette first, and I feel like I will be first a ringette player who plays hockey too.
A ringette player who plays professional hockey.
[Laughs.] Yes, exactly.
UP NEXT:
Saturday, Feb. 3: Minnesota @ Toronto, 12 p.m. ET
Sunday, Feb. 4: New York @ Ottawa, 1 p.m. ET on Sportsnet; Montreal @ Boston, 3:30 p.m. ET.
