Perhaps it had something to do with the fact that his team was losing by six goals , or it might have been that classic Finnish stoicism on display, but when Roni Hirvonen scored his first North American professional goal for the 色色啦 Marlies聽two weeks ago, he barely raised his arms.
But that goal meant something, both for Hirvonen and the Maple Leafs organization that took him in the second round of the 2020 NHL draft. It was the culmination of his return from a series of setbacks that could have stopped the 22-year-old left winger in his tracks.
Most scouting publications have Hirvonen pegged in the bottom half of the Leafs鈥 top 10 prospects, so there鈥檚 no guarantee he鈥檒l become an NHL regular. But if the determination to overcome adversity is any measuring device, Hirvonen will one day take his game east on the Gardiner Expressway from the Coca-Cola Coliseum to Scotiabank Arena.
Exactly 100 days elapsed between July 8 and Oct. 15 last year, and it would be difficult to imagine anyone in the hockey world who had a worse stretch than Hirvonen . 聽It started and ended with Hirvonen lying on the ice dazed and confused and wondering about his future. In the middle , he had to deal with the death of his father in Finland, fewer than five months before what would have been Timo Hirvonen鈥檚 50th birthday.
Hayley Wickenheiser, the Leafs assistant GM in charge of player development, knows a little about intestinal fortitude. She played in six Olympics聽鈥 five in hockey, one in softball聽鈥 was a member of Canada鈥檚 women鈥檚 hockey team for 23 years and juggles her work with Leaf prospects with her job as an emergency physician. So when Wickenheiser says Hirvonen 鈥渋s about as mentally tough as any athlete I鈥檝e ever met in my life,鈥 that鈥檚 quite an endorsement.
鈥淭here are a lot of things in life to be happy about,鈥 Leafs prospect Roni Hirvonen said.
Nick LachanceWhen Hirvonen showed up for the Leafs鈥 development camp in July, he knew his father had a brain tumour, but his family was hopeful that surgery later that month would improve Timo鈥檚 prospects. During a scrimmage on the final day of camp, Hirvonen was carrying the puck through the neutral zone when he received a thunderous hit from Nolan Dillingham, a free-agent invite. Hirvonen went back to Finland concussed to be with his father.
Timo Hirvonen underwent surgery for the brain tumour but never woke up from the procedure. He died July 28. Timo was a grinding winger who had a long career in the Finnish pro league and was Roni鈥檚 most influential mentor. After his father鈥檚 death, Hirvonen changed his number from 22 to 33, the number Timo wore during his playing career.
鈥淗e taught me a lot about hockey,鈥 Hirvonen said after a recent Marlies practice. 鈥淏ut he also taught me to be happy about life every day and that I鈥檓 in a good spot. I get to play hockey and live my dream. I miss him a lot and I think about him every day. I know he鈥檚 watching me.鈥
A little more than a month after his father died, Hirvonen came to North America to start his career. It was at the Leafs prospect tournament in Traverse City, Mich., that he decided to take No. 33. He played in three of the Leafs鈥 seven pre-season games, registering one assist, and was sent to the Marlies to start the season.
But his pro career almost ended in his second game.聽Max Willman of the Utica Devils attempted a backhand shot and the blade of his stick went under聽Hirvonen’s visor and directly on his left eye. The damage was so extensive that all Hirvonen and the Marlies could do was wait to see if the eye healed.
鈥淭here are a lot of things in life to be happy about,鈥 Leafs prospect Roni Hirvonen said.
Nick LachanceIt turned out聽Hirvonen did not need surgery but he was out of the Marlies’ lineup for three months before returning in late January. His vision is still not 100 per cent, and likely never will be, and the pupil in his left eye is dilated to about three times the size of the one in the right.
鈥淚t was very scary,” Wickenheiser said. 鈥淗e鈥檚 got a bit of a blind spot depending on certain areas but it鈥檚 not impacting the day-to-day. So I would say he鈥檚 made a pretty remarkable recovery. He鈥檒l have some long-term damage, but he鈥檚 able to see out of both eyes and play at a level that he鈥檚 comfortable, which we weren鈥檛 sure of when it happened.鈥
All Hirvonen could do for three months was wait and heal. And mourn. The Marlies were sure to make him feel a part of things, including him in team meetings and some road trips. His girlfriend was with him in 色色啦, which helped, and his mother and sisters were able to come over for Christmas. Fellow Finnish teammates Topi Niemel盲聽and Mikko Kokkonen helped with the process, but it was Hirvonen鈥檚 mental toughness that got him through.
鈥淗e never said to me that he can鈥檛 do something,鈥 Niemel盲 said. 鈥淗e was always like, 鈥業t鈥檚 going to be all right and I鈥檓 going to get back and I鈥檓 going to recover.鈥 He鈥檚 so tough and mentally strong that he can handle so many things.
“We tried to do some things and help him get his mind out of the bad things, but I think it was hard for him to talk about his father, especially because it was so (recent). I just told him, 鈥楾ext me if you want to talk about it.鈥 鈥
Marlies coach John Gruden is happy to have Hirvonen back in the lineup. He has a goal and four assists in the 12 games since he returned and the Marlies are 6-2-4. Gruden said teammates want to play with Hirvonen because he鈥檚 an industrious, hard-working and low-maintenance player.
鈥淕uys like him always come out on top,鈥 Gruden said. 鈥淗e鈥檚 got that character, that part you can鈥檛 teach. To see what he鈥檚 gone through and to see how he attacked it every day is quite remarkable, actually.鈥
Even before all the setbacks, Hirvonen was armed with a pretty good sense of perspective, knowing there is more to life than hockey. His father helped teach him that, probably on the lake one of the many times the two went fishing. But after more than 100 days of uncertainty and loss, he realizes it more than ever.
鈥淭here are a lot of things in life to be happy about,鈥 Hirvonen said. 鈥淚f you think about it in the big picture, it was a short time in my life I was not playing. Now that I鈥檓 playing again, if feels like I enjoy it even more.鈥
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