Jari Kurri: Russians are part of a big hockey family, even under the Olympic flag

SS: We’ll get to the other players because that’s the other interesting moment. But just the fact of absence of the star players, that’s what the NHL players are, is going to make the Olympic hockey this year less attractive?

JK: Probably, yes. Of course, everybody recognizes that these players are not there and they should be there playing for their countries. But I’d put that aside. Players who will be there will have support and they should be excited and proud of being part of their teams.

SS: I know, some of the players like Crosby or Ovechkin were outspoken about their disappointment in the league’s decision. Can the pressure from the players change anything here?

JK: I think, it should. The players, the owners, NHL - they should listen to players. Of course, we don’t know what’s happening behind the scene, what was the main reason, why the NHL players are not there. The owners won’t let the players go for two or three weeks. Was it the money? Was it their interests? What is the No.1 reason?  We really don’t know. They should have come out and explain to people the reasons why NHL players are not there.

SS: Shouldn’t they be allowed to go on their on? For instance, Team Russia goes on their own now. Shouldn’t the NHL players do the same on their own money if they want to play?

JK: I don’t think so. The League has the rules. That would be too messy.

SS: There was this incredible story in the 80s. An non-professional team from the US has won Olympic gold in 1980 - can a North American team pull off another upset like that this time?

JK: A “Miracle on Ice”? I was there, 1980, part of Team Finland. I was 18 years old, playing frontline. Didn’t get to play too much, but just being part of this big family was a thrill for me. Could this happen again in South Korea next year? It’s hard to say. There are many strong teams in Europe. Russia has a strong team. Finland, Swedes, Czechs have strong teams. Canada has a lot of players playing in Europe. U.S. has players playing in Europe too. It’s a little bit different now. 

SS: So it would take a miracle, right?

JK: It would really be a miracle.

SS: Are you saying that 30-something years on, hockey has got much stronger than back in the 80s?

JK: A lot of countries are catching up. Back in the 80s the Soviet Union and Canada were so much better. Now the Swedes and the Finns are winning the world championships. The gap is not that big any more. I think we can count five or six countries which can go to the championships in today’s hockey.

SS: How is an Olympic contest different from the NHL Stanley Cup playoffs - you’ve played in both? Is there more pressure in the Stanley Cup game 7 or in the Olympic final?

JK: The pressure is there.I mean, winning the Stanley Cup - it’s a dream come true, you know. You start your job ten months ago and when you finish your season, winning the Stanley Cup, I mean, there is no way to better finish the season. Olympics are special. Only once in four years they play a short tournament. How many chances do you have in your lifetime to be part of the Olympics? Maybe once or twice. Some have six times. Like I said, the Olympics are a bit different. It’s about your country, the whole family. It’s not just about hockey but other sports as well.

SS: Does it make difference for a hockey player emotionally?

JK: It doesn’t matter. If you win something big, it doesn’t matter whether it’s the Stanley Cup or the Olympic championship.

SS: Can you tell us what’s going through the heads of players who do get to go on the Olympic ice? How do you deal with the weight of the expectations in your head - when you know the whole world is watching?

JK: It’s hard to put in words. You think more about the game, make sure you’re ready to play, make sure the team is ready. Also, you rightly enjoy the moment. You play for your country, you play in the Olympics, it’s a big show. But it’s about the game and you try to abstract your mind from what’s going on outside the hockey. You know your family and friends are watching. But you’re still focusing on the game. It’s more about enjoying the chance of your lifetime when it’s big.

SS: The Olympic hockey team doesn’t get to glue together like an NHL team, how do you compensate for that?

JK: It’s a challenge for the team because they don’t have so much time to be together before the puck drops. It’s very important for the coach what kind of team you build. You need to make the right players play for the team and to create chemistry [between them] in a short time. It’s really important.  

SS: You say, coach and synergy between the players are key in the Olympic hockey game. But you don’t spend much time together. You don’t know each other’s habits ...

JK: Today’s hockey players know each other quite well. They either played together in the past or won championships in club teams. Building the team is very important because you don’t really have that much time to practise together. So I think the couch needs to make a good choice, to find the right players.

SS: Looking back, what’s is more important for a hockey player’s legacy? Are record-breaking stats or MVP wins more important than a gold medal or a Stanley Cup ring?

JK: I think we’re talking about the team sports here. Winning the Stanley Cup at the end of the season, Olympic gold medal, together, as a team, for your country... If you win an MVP or a scoring title, that’s fine, but you win an Olympic Gold - I think, that’s more important.

SS: Is Olympic hockey less scandalous than the NHL game - is it less physical, less fights breaking out there?

JK: Sure, hockey changed. I think that the NHL hockey is different, because the ice surfaces are much smaller. Now when you play hockey in bigger rinks, like here, the game will change a lot. Now it won’t be the best players there at the Olympics, but it’s good players still who will play together, of course, the game changes a little bit. I think we will see more skills on the ice. It’s a different game because of the size of the rink. It makes hockey look a little bit different.

SS: But you didn’t answer my question: is Olympic hockey less scandalous? The NHL to me is like showbiz…

JK: Fight is part of the NHL hockey game. It comes from long time ago. The NHL tries to avoid fights in today’s hockey, you can see them less and less. If a fight is a scandal... I don’t know. It’s about hockey. You won’t see many fights in the Olympic hockey. In that sense it’s a less scandalous or cleaner hockey, I would say.

SS: Which team do you think will impress most during these Olympics?

JK: Hopefully, Finland. Our hockey program has done a good job. We have good players, we keep surprising other hockey countries. And we are only 5 million people. Russia will be the favourite in that tournament. There are great players that play in Europe right now, in the NHL. But hopefully, Finland’s team will surprise everybody.

SS: So here we have a situation where a lot of individuals won’t be able to join their national teams. But hockey is a team sport, isn’t it? Isn’t the collective effort more important in hockey than skills of certain individual star hockey players? For instance, you scored so many goals in your career - but your teammate was often Wayne Gretzky…

JK: Like I said, hockey is a team sport. You need certain type of players in team. You need players who can can score, players who can pass the puck, you need players who have defense will. You need good players, you know. You can’t have a team where everybody scores or where everybody plays defense. You need different types of players that could build a team. Back in my days we were good as a team. We had Wayne Gretzky, Mark Messier and Glenn Anderson, great hockey Hall-of-Famers, but we were really good as a team. We were good role players, playing frontline and doing a great job for our team.

SS: So team effort is more important than being a star separately from the team?

JK: One player cannot win the game or the championship. It’s a team effort. You need everybody.

SS: You’ve mentioned the Russian team, it is in limbo right now - since the Russians can’t participate in the Winter Olympics under their own flag, they will have to compete as a neutral squad of athletes. Plus, we have the absence of the NHL players. How does that affect the tournament? That’s something new for the Olympics…

JK: There has been a lot of talking already, but by the time the puck drops I think we all forget that, hopefully. I hope we can focus on the tournament and the game. It’s been a tough year for hockey. Now that the NHL is not coming and due to the Russian situation it’s a tough time for their sports, for their hockey. But time is a healer. Now we have less than 60 days before the Olympics open and we will going to be focusing on the games. 

SS: Are saying that the absence of the NHL players and the strange situation with the Russian hockey players competing under a neutral flag will not affect the whole thing?

JK: I can’t answer this question. Like I said, hopefully, time will heal. It’s not many days to go before the puck drops. They still have a chance to be part of the Olympics.

SS: The South Koreans pleaded with the IOC to let the Russia hockey team come and play because they were worried about the economic sort of things. If Russians come a lot of T-shirts, tickets to games will be sold, etc. Can economic pressure change anything here?

JK: I think, the hockey world is worried if Russians will be there because they are an important part of the hockey family. It would be sad if the Russian players are not there. I wasn’t really worried about this tough situation about the Russians coming to the Olympics. The right decision has been made. But, of course, it’s been a tough time for the Russian sports family.

SS: I want your personal opinion of a hockey player to this question. The hockey players have all passed the doping tests, and the witness in the doping investigation said that hockey players weren’t part of the doping scandal anyway, why force them to wear neutral colours? Why can’t they compete under their national flag if they were not part of the doping scandal?

JK: I think there’s a big story behind what has happened. The IOC has done a lot of work, and I’m not the right person to talk about the situation. As I said, it’s been a tough time for the Russian sports family, but, hopefully, they will come strong. We need to go that way. 

SS: Emotionally Russians are split about this issue. The majority of Russian athletes say they are willing to go to the Olympics in the neutral status. Half of Russians say it just doesn’t make sense because if you go to the Olympics you should be able to raise your national flag and hear your national anthem being played. The other half of Russians say: ‘You know what, you should go and compete. Everybody knows which country you are from and your win is our win anyway’.  What’s your take on that?

JK: I think, they should go and compete, be proud to be Russian and enjoy the moment. That’s very important.

SS: Do you think competing under a neutral flag may have a demoralising effect on the athlete - or, instead, fire him up to just stick it to the world and win?

JK: They can use it as an advantage. But, also, athletes train so hard for many years and months preparing themselves for the Olympics that they will come up with a lot of extraordinary achievement, hopefully.

SS: When you watch these Olympics, will it matter for you that these people aren’t competing under the Russian flag, will you look at them differently?

JK: If I watch a hockey game, I have to know all the players skating out there, so it’s a different story for me. I will look at the game, how the teams are playing and how their players are playing.

SS: That’s a typical answer of a hockey player.

JK: Sorry, but that’s a true story.

SS: Do you think, collective punishment should exist in sports in general?

JK: This is a sad story that happened to the Russian sports. The IOC…

SS: I mean, this can happen in any team in any country in the world - you can test an athlete for doping, it turns out he takes a substance, but the rest of the team doesn’t. Should the whole team be punished for his mistake? Should collective punishment exist in sports?

JK: Of course, not. It’s not a useful thing and it’s unfair for other people who’ve done nothing wrong.

SS: Even though we always say there is no place for politics in sports, they do mix in the end. The opinion here in Russia is that the ban is politically motivated, and that there are plenty of athletes around the world who cheat and don’t get the same harsh treatment. Do you think there’s a political tint to this whole story?

JK: I really don’t know what’s going on. Of course, the media have their view on everything, and that fills up people’s minds. But I can’t really answer that question.

SS: Do you feel sports can exist without politics? Head of WADA Craig Reedie has called the idea of sports being played without politics interfering ‘an impossible dream’. Do you think sports can be free of politics?

JK: I don’t see that happening in what I’m doing right now. Of course, there are a lot of politicians involved in sports. They watch, they are big fans, you know. So maybe they are involved that way. I cannot answer more than that. 

SS: This is the first time a national team is being suspended from the Olympic Games over doping accusations. Do you feel this could change the future course of how sports are perceived in the world? Do you think this can make sports cleaner? Will the next Olympics be stricter to everyone? Or is it just a matter of time until more profound and less detectable substances are produced?

JK: That should be our mission to make sure that sports are clean. We spend so much money. WADA has spent so much money to study the situation [with doping]. They could have used this money in a better way. Hopefully, we’ll catch cheaters and make sports everywhere clean.

SS: Jari Kurri, thank you so much for this interview. Enjoy the rest of your stay in Russia.

JK: Thank you.