Fife Flyers: Ice hockey outfit invests in Finnishing power

Janne Laakkonen (picture by Coventry Blaze)

The 40-year-old Finn has played in the EIHL on two separate occasions, in 2019-20 and 2021-22.

Both times, he iced for the Coventry Blaze and put up impressive numbers, with more than one point per game throughout both seasons.

His latest season in the Elite League saw him ranked as the 17th top points scorer in the league.

Laakkonen brings a wealth of experience, having spent 15 years in his home nation. He has also iced in Sweden, Russia, Austria and several other European countries.

On his arrival in Fife, Laakkonen said: “When I played in Coventry, it was always hard to come to play as a guest of Fife because the home team was always giving their all and the fans were massively cheering.

“After I spoke with (head coach and general manager) Todd Dutiaume, I was impressed that the club really wants to be better this year and fight for better results in the standings.

“For this reason, I chose Fife and really want to bring my experience and offensive skills to the team, help the team win a lot of games and to return as a play-off team.”