Esa Hulkonen 1st Game

HULKONEN PLAYS FIRST GAME!



Esa Hulkonen played his 1st game of the season for Piebalgas Lauvas tonight and helped them to a 5-2 victory over Kuldigas Milzi. He had no points but was a + player, finishing with a possible +2 for the game. He played well, but was not able to get on the scoresheet tonight. He had a chance to evaluate his game at the JHL level and figure out areas he needs to improve on going forward. One positive was his tremendous size on the ice, at 6'9" and 272lbs he looked like a true giant and I am sure scared his opponents. He skated well and threw a few hits, but looked as if he need to work on his agility as his skating was not as clean as it could have been. He also took a tripping penalty early in the game, so he needs to work on his discipline. He's well on his way to becoming a great player though and with a little more practice should be able to get better. His coach in Piebalgas has show confidence in him and is starting him on the #1 Defense pairing. Hulkonen realizes this is a big opportunity and he's going to work hard on his defensive game to help the team win. Piebalgas Lauvas has a great chance to win a championship and Esa Hulkonen wants to help get them there.

Here is Esa Hulkonen for Interview:


Esa Hulkonen answers questions.

-Hello Esa, how do you think you played in your first game for Piebalgas?

I think I played pretty good, I did some positive things out there to help the team, but there's also some things I can work on for next game. Not bad for a rookie in his first game in the JHL.

-How did you like playing in front of your first Latvian crowd?

It was amazing. The fans here in Latvian are so supportive of their teams and you can really feel the energy in the crowd. It was like a playoff atmosphere for the first regular season game. I really got a charge out of it and I think I'm really going to enjoy playing here in Latvia.

-How about your teammates, how did they play?

They played great. Everyone was skating well and we scored 5 goals so all the forwards were really looking good. Helmmandio had a great couple games and I think he scored 3 goals! He really looks like a superstar this year. I am excited about everyone on the team and hopefully I can chip in also with some points soon.

-Do you think your team has what it takes to win a championship this season?

It is too early to say, but I think we have a very good team and if we work hard, we have a chance to win the championship. There are a lot of good teams in the JHL so it's going to be a very tough season. There will be no easy games and we have to stay focused and play a smart game. If we do that all season I think we'll finish pretty well.

-Thank you Esa Hulkonen, good luck next game.

Thank you.


[500+]

It's awesome to see you writing articles. Nice job. And points will come, there's no doubt about it.

5TP