Here’s my pick for the Swedish League MVP. Ossi.

Read the iihf.com piece here or below.

Ossi, the Stockholm hitman

Ossi Vaananen has got Stockholm hockey fans at his feet. And on their feet. Quite a feat.

STOCKHOLM – Hockey is a team sport, and no one man can win games by himself. That doesn’t mean that all players are equally important, of course, because one player can make a huge difference in a team.

One man can instill a team with such self confidence and courage that his teammates dare to do things they otherwise wouldn’t – and pull it off.

Like Ossi Vaananen, the Finnish defenceman patrolling the Djurgarden defence in the Swedish Elitserien. When Vaananen’s one-year deal with the Colorado Avalanche in the NHL wasn’t renewed in 2007, he had time to think about his next career move. After contemplating his options during the summer and early fall, Vaananen finally decided to sign with Djurgarden – a move that surprised many.

“My last couple of years in the NHL were a rollercoaster, with ups and downs, and my ice time during the last year in Colorado wasn’t what I wanted so I decided to look elsewhere. I had offers from other teams, but I’ve always liked Sweden, and always wanted to play in the Swedish Elite League,” he says, sitting casually at a coffee shop across the street from the Globe Arena.

Djurgarden knew what they got. In fact, they were so desperate, or to put it in more positive terms, eager, to have him in the line-up that they decided to bring him in already seven games into the season, and not wait until the October cutoff to have Vaananen fall under the “artists” group with more favourable taxation.

Or, Djurgarden is willing to take the extra hit, of about 200,000 Euro in taxes, if Vaananen has to stay over six months in the country. That would mean that Djurgarden plays in the finals.

And if Djurgarden does play in the finals, you can bet the ranch that Vaananen has been a big part of it, and has therefore earned his keep. He currently leads the team in ice time, with almost 21:30 minutes a game, almost a minute more than the next one, and he is also the defenceman with most points – 15 in 49 games. A rare feat for the tall Finn.

He also is team-high +13, and second in penalty minutes (98), behind team captain Jimmie Olvestad.

Plus, Djurgarden has a special Ossi T-shirt for sale. That one’s for the ladies in the house.

“I’ve really enjoyed my season here, it’s been wonderful. I’ve got to play a lot, in different situations, and the team has played well. The intensity of the schedule was a surprise, with all the breaks for national teams and so on, the 55 games are packed into a pretty short time,” Vaananen says.

“Stockholm is a gorgeous city, and the club has really gone out their way to take care of me. We have a guy, Ragge Ek, that takes care of any – any – problem the players might have. I’ve never been in a team with a person like that before,” he adds, and waves a hello to a passing friend.

While Vaananen has definitely been a rock in the Djurgarden defence, and has even contributed offensively, the fans love him most when he rolls over the opponents. Vaananen’s bodychecking has been in a league of its own this season, and the crowd knows what to expect every time the big number 4 hits the ice. He averages at least one good, feet-stomping, energizing hit a game. In his eagerness to bodycheck, he even checked himself over the boards once.

“Do I look for a chance to check somebody?” Vaananen asks, and laughs so hard his hat almost falls off.

“Well, no, not really, but of course, if I see a chance, I take it. Of course it’s great to have our fantastic fans that love the hitting, and naturally, I want to give them what they want, but I think the hitting is more just my way of showing everybody that we do our best, and give everything, and won’t back down,” he says, after adjusting the hat.

Vaananen is one of just two imports in the Djurgarden roster – Jiri Marusak is the other – and he thinks the fact that Djurgarden’s core is made of players that were born and raised in the Stockholm area is a strength they can use when things get tough.

“It’s really rare to have a team with so many local boys on the roster, but it like it. Everybody has their life together here.”

If the fans have been impressed with Vaananen, the sentiment is mutual. Vaananen praises the Djurgarden fans with a conviction.

“The fans are amazing, with all the singing, and the flags and the scarfs, it’s very impressive. We’ve played most of our games in Hovet, the old and smaller arena, which is easier to fill and create the atmosphere. But a sold-out Globe Arena is beyond words,” Vaananen says.

With only a few games left in the regular season, and a playoffs spot practically secured, Djurgarden and Vaananen look confidently into the playoffs.

“Our first goal was to make the playoffs, then we’d naturally want to go as deep as possible,” Vaananen says.

Whatever it costs.