For the first time, Finland's eight-time champion Kärpät Oulu will compete in the Spengler Cup. The team is led by two highly decorated veterans: Marko Anttila and Atte Ohtamaa, both Olympic champions and two-time world champions. However, in Davos, much of the spotlight will be on another Kärpät forward. Teemu Turunen is familiar with Davos. The Finn played for Hockey Club Davos during the 2020/21 season. However, his knowledge of the Spengler Cup is limited to hearsay.

Kärpät – "Ermine" in Finnish – hails from Oulu, a city of 200,000 residents located 540 kilometers north of Helsinki as the crow flies. By road, the 600-kilometer drive takes just over seven hours. Oulu, Finland's fifth-largest city, lies on the Gulf of Bothnia, only 100 kilometers south of the Arctic Circle. Known as a hub of Finland's IT industry, Oulu also boasts a strong wellness culture, as well as significant timber and paper industries.

The city's main sports venue is the Oulun Energia Arena, the home of Kärpät Oulu, with a capacity of 6,614 seats, 4,760 of which are seated. Founded in 1947, Kärpät claimed its first championship title in 1981. The team's golden era began in the 2000s, winning four national championships between 2003/04 and 2007/08. In the European Champions Cup, Kärpät reached the finals in 2005 and 2006, only to be defeated by Russian teams. They famously defeated HC Davos 3-1 in the 2006 group stage. More recently, Kärpät added Finnish "Liiga" titles in 2014, 2015, and 2018.

Anttila, Ohtamaa, and Turunen – Three Stories, Three Standouts

Marko Anttila, Kärpät’s towering captain, stands out both literally and figuratively. At 2.03 meters tall, the winger’s presence is commanding. Anttila's accolades include Olympic gold in 2021 and World Championships in 2019 and 2022. He made history in the 2019 World Championships, scoring crucial goals in the quarterfinals, semifinals, and finals, including the "World Championship Winning Goal" against Canada. Anttila is eager for his first Spengler Cup, calling it an "exciting adventure" and expressing confidence in Kärpät’s fast-paced, aggressive style of play. "Winning the Spengler Cup would be really cool," he adds with a smile.

Atte Ohtamaa, a defensive stalwart, shares the same Olympic and World Championship honors as Anttila. A Kärpät product, Ohtamaa won Finnish titles in 2008 and 2014 before a stint in the KHL. Now 37, he’s back with Kärpät, known for his physicality, work ethic, and hockey intelligence.

Teemu Turunen, Kärpät’s top scorer last season, is no stranger to Davos, having played for HC Davos in the 2020/21 season. However, due to the pandemic, the Spengler Cup was not held that year. Since joining Kärpät in 2022, Turunen has become a key player, amassing 71 points (37 goals, 34 assists) to lead the Finnish "Liiga" in scoring last season. His overtime goal against KalPa Kuopio secured Kärpät the bronze medal after falling to the Lahti Pelicans in the semifinals.

Text excerpt from the Spengler Cup Yearbook. Photo by Maurice Parrée.