Mika Kohonen: Return of the King

Mika Kohonen’s return to Salibandyliiga and Finnish Champions SPV Seinäjoki on a one-year contract is the country’s biggest transfer for a long, long time. After the year 2000, the 38-year old northern legend has only played one season in his homeland. The Kings’s return raises high hopes but also doubts about his fitness.

The mystery of Mika Kohonen’s future started being cleared up when SPV and Salibandyliiga arranged a grandiose press conference in downtown Helsinki. The setting alone was exceptional: Top floor of the country’s employers’ union building with a sea view over fancy Southern Harbour. Since Swedish Storvreta had announced they would no longer offer him a contract, there had been lots of speculation about Mika Kohonen retiring, moving to another Swedish club or returning home. ”I feel like a little boy”, Mika said after having taken his seat in front of the press. ”It feels great to return home and to Salibandyliiga”.

_{The Kohonens at the press conference (photo pääkallo.fi)}

Final choice between SPV and Happee
At the press conference, Mika Kohonen told there were half a dozen Swedish and as many Finnish clubs interested. With no real desire to represent any other Swedish club than Storvreta, the final choice was between SPV and Kohonen’s native Happee. ”My feelings pulled towards Happee with so many people important to me but as whole, SPV was the better choice at this point”, Kohonen said. No numbers were mentioned, but during the conference it was implied that economic conditions, too, mattered for Mighty Mika and it was not hard to guess that of the two last years Finnish finalists SPV was the one to be able to offer a seriously lucrative contract.

Obviously, his contract includes more than just practicing and playing. The star will be there to help with SPV’s youth camps and other juniors’ activities as he already did in Sweden. Mika Kohonen’s wife and children will stay in Sweden and Mika would be moving to his childhood home in Vaajakoski, 200 kilometers away from Seinäjoki. Still, that is a smaller problem than one would think. Little brother Mikko Kohonen is used to driving between the two cities for home games and practice. ”That’ll be a lot of traveling but I hope Mikko will keep talking through the trip and let me listen”, Mika laughed.

Old knee on a young player
Mika Kohonen has an impressive list of great victories and titles under his belt but there’s one thing missing. He’s never become Finnish champion. He also mentions Champions Cup and Finnish Cup as goals for the upcoming season. ”My knee is old but that’s not how I feel myself”, he says. ”It is also a great privilege to get to play together with Mikko.” And what about the national team? He doesn’t leave that one out, either…

_{Will they play in the same line? (photo floorball.org)}

Rumor has it, SPV might put Mika Kohonen between the team’s snipers Sami Koski and Mikko Kohonen. Head coach Tommy Koponen would of course not yet comment eventual formations but he was not shy to praise his latest signing. ”The first thing about Mika is his immense experience. That is such an important factor for winning”. And getting Mika and Salibandyliiga’s all time top scorer Mikko to play alongside each other makes the coach count 1+1 is like more than just two. ”Getting them not only to play together but also to practice and care for their battered knees together is good for both. Also, I’m used to Mikko calling me from underway to make points about our games and Mika certainly will bring important points to these discussions.”

Marketing asset for Salibandyliiga
Even with his best days probably over, signing The King of floorball himself is a big thing for both SPV and Salibandyliiga. Many Finnis floorball fans have only seen him play for the national team and next season will be a rare opportunity to witness the legend on the field. ”There’s no bigger name in floorball and Mika will certainly make the whole league more interesting”, Salibandyliiga CEO JP Lehtonen smiled. ”We also have plans to do as much PR with him outside the rink as we can”. With stars like Jani Kukkola, Tatu Väänänen, Eero Kosonen, Mika Moilanen and Jami Manninen playing outside the country, Mika Kohonen adds a well-needed big name to the local rosters. With Harri Forsten making a SSV comeback and Markus Bollström surprisingly training with Oilers, the aspiring stars will have to fight for their spots with legends.

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Comment by the Author: I believe in Mihu
Not everyone in Finland expects Mika Kohonen to dominate the game the way he did a few years back. Missed most of last season and only scored 14 points, knees gone, cannot attend the team’s hard physical practice, merely third block in the national team, murmurs are heard on internet forums. Yet I believe in him.

In Finnish hockey it was Teemu Selänne, in football Jari Litmanen. Just having a player like that in the dressing-room will lift a top team even higher and him bringing even some of his experience and leadership inside the rink even more so. Mikko Kohonen has showed how even an injury-ridden player can rise to be a decisive factor in big games and he’s the one to show his big brother how to do the same. These two won’t be working their legs off at the running track but are experienced enough to get themselves fit by other means when it counts. Most of all, I expect to see Mika Kohonen’s influence in SPV’s team performance which even before the upcoming season has been impressive. Having the legend step into the rink, give a magical pass and maybe score points will be bonus.

It’s been ten years since I last saw Mika Kohonen playing a Salibandyliiga game. I’m looking forward to the next one, getting closer by the day.