Ville Nieminen is a former NHL player with a Stanley Cup to his name. He knows what it takes to get to the big dance and today he goes by Coach Nieminen. It is under his tutelage that Jesse Ylönen develops, looking to take that step himself one day.
The Lahti Pelicans were a surprising team in the top end of Liiga last season, and they have started this season with two wins with one of them coming against HIFK, the team that knocked them out of the playoffs last season. Coach Nieminen thinks the Champions Hockey League helped his team during the opening rounds of Liiga this season as the team learned to play against a more physical defence and bigger opponents.