Story Summary
Jokerit have reshaped their forward lines ahead of their Liiga fixture against Ässät, moving Patrick Curry from the wing on the first line to the middle of the third unit.
Antti Kalapudas takes Curry’s place alongside Henri Nikkanen and Maxime Fortier on the top line. The three forwards played for SaiPa last season.
There is also a new look to Jokerit’s second and fourth lines. Eetu Tuulola, who was playing on the second line a week ago, has moved to the fourth unit with Bruno Kallio and Aleksi Mustonen. Kristo Pitkänen steps into the second line alongside Markus Hännikäinen and Patrik Virta.
Curry will centre Emil Kuusla and Alexander Forslund on the third line. Jokerit have also altered a defensive pairing, with Riku Tuomola returning to the line-up beside Max Krogdahl on the first pair. Miks Tumanovs makes way.
Key Facts
- Patrick Curry has moved from the first-line wing to centre Jokerit’s third line.
- Antti Kalapudas joins Henri Nikkanen and Maxime Fortier on the first line; all three played for SaiPa last season.
- Kristo Pitkänen replaces Eetu Tuulola on the second line alongside Markus Hännikäinen and Patrik Virta.
- Tuulola moves to the fourth line with Bruno Kallio and Aleksi Mustonen after playing on the second line a week earlier.
- Emil Kuusla and Alexander Forslund will play either side of Curry on the third line.
- Riku Tuomola returns to the Jokerit line-up and will partner Max Krogdahl on the first defensive pair, with Miks Tumanovs leaving the line-up.
- Tomi Karhunen remains Jokerit’s starting goaltender, while Olle Eriksson Ek is the backup.
IHM Discussion
The central change is Curry’s move away from the first line. Kalapudas is handed an immediate opportunity with Nikkanen and Fortier, reuniting a trio whose shared SaiPa season gives them an existing connection.
Jokerit’s adjustments extend beyond one promotion or demotion. Pitkänen’s arrival on the second line changes Tuulola’s role substantially, while Curry’s new position at centre gives the third unit a different focal point. The return of Tuomola also affects the blue line at the top of the defence rather than merely providing an extra option.
The goaltending arrangement is unchanged, leaving Karhunen in net and Eriksson Ek in reserve while the skaters around them take on new combinations.
Why It Matters
Line changes can quickly alter where a team’s responsibility and ice time are concentrated. Kalapudas now has the role with Nikkanen and Fortier, while Curry is entrusted with centring a third line flanked by Kuusla and Forslund.
For Tuulola, the move from the second line to the fourth is a clear change in deployment. At the same time, Tuomola’s return alongside Krogdahl places him straight into Jokerit’s first defensive pair. The revised groups give Jokerit a distinctly different set of combinations for the meeting with Ässät.