WTFinland

November 18, 2011 1:27 AM

Last year Minnesota Wild prospect Mikael Granlund turned heads with his Floorball-style (or 'lacross-style' for the uninitiated) goal during Finland's semifinal game against Russia in the World Championships. Mikael's younger brother Markus notched a similar goal today.
posted by mannequito (23 comments total)

Why do they call it "Floorball-style" if you're picking the puck up OFF the floor (or ice) with your stick (which IS an impressive feat)? Did these guys train flipping pancakes at IHOP?
posted by oneswellfoop at 2:16 AM on November 18, 2011

Someone's gonna link to that University of Michigan clip from a few years back before too long, no?

When it comes to Lacrosse style hockey goals, though, I like Corey Perry's style (albeit a near miss, due to a goaltender who apparently didn't quite understand the nature of the All Star Skills Competition)

( Mike Legg's goal for the University of Michigan, as promised )
posted by ShutterBun at 2:45 AM on November 18, 2011

a.k.a.: airhook.

Flip the puck... and don't forget to smear a bit of stickum on your stick'um!
posted by markkraft at 2:57 AM on November 18, 2011

Why do they call it "Floorball-style"

Floorball is essentially hockey played with a ball, on a floor. The sticks are, I think, somewhat "netted" or at least contoured, kinda like a Jai-Alai basket, making it somewhat easier to lift the ball.

I'm guessing they called it floorball because pretty much every other required element of the sport already has its own game named after it. (other than "ball-ball")
posted by ShutterBun at 3:01 AM on November 18, 2011 [1 favorite]

Re: flip the puck:

Certainly much easier to do on shag carpet vs. ice. (same reason sleight-of-hand magicians prefer to use padded velvet to work on, as opposed to wooden tables)

However, no hockey player would pick up a puck that way on the ice. They pick it up with the concave face of the blade facing downward. It's more of a "scooping" motion than a "flipping it onto your stick" motion. It still relies on tilting the puck up to meet the friction tape (slightly tacky water-proof tape) but the rest is pure momentum.
posted by ShutterBun at 3:09 AM on November 18, 2011

Ace.
Puck like.
posted by Mblue at 3:20 AM on November 18, 2011

(other than "ball-ball")

Official Rules for Ball-Ball
Fédération internationale de Ball-Ball ("FIBB")

1. Ball-Ball shall be played by two opposing players, called "Ball-Ball-Boys," each of which shall have two Balls.
2. Play shall commence when one Ball-Ball-Boy kicks another Ball-Ball-Boy in the Balls.
3. The kicked Ball-Ball-Boy shall be permitted to make no noise, save for saying "Oh Boy - my Balls!"
4. The kickee shall thence become the kicker. Play continues in alternate turns until the number of Balls becomes less than twice the number of Ball-Ball-Boys.
5. The winner is the Ball-Ball-Boy with the most Balls left.
posted by the quidnunc kid at 3:22 AM on November 18, 2011 [4 favorites]

It's not gay as long as their balls don't touch, right?
posted by ShutterBun at 3:24 AM on November 18, 2011

This (carrying the puck in the air) should be illegal, IMHO.
posted by woodblock100 at 3:32 AM on November 18, 2011

I find "ShuttterBun"'s yacht word untouchable. Or at least twinkle shun.
posted by Mblue at 3:35 AM on November 18, 2011

This (carrying the puck in the air) should be illegal

I, for one, thank you for clarifying.

(begins frantically looking up yacht words)
posted by ShutterBun at 4:00 AM on November 18, 2011

Floorball. The stick ends are not very contoured, but the ball is very, very light and bouncy. The difficult part is not lifting it, but rather keeping it anywhere near the floor.
posted by Skeptic at 4:50 AM on November 18, 2011

I've heard it noted that what makes Granlund's goal unusual and difficult compared to other examples of the 'airhook' is that he does it while on the move and with a fairly short window of opportunity since there are opponents right behind him.
posted by Anything at 5:01 AM on November 18, 2011

And I should say 'they' since both brothers apparently pull it off.
posted by Anything at 5:04 AM on November 18, 2011

I love the commentator Antero Mertaranta's immediate reaction to the goal as can be heard (and seen..) on this video.
posted by Anything at 5:09 AM on November 18, 2011 [1 favorite]

I've heard it noted that what makes Granlund's goal unusual and difficult compared to other examples of the 'airhook' is that he does it while on the move and with a fairly short window of opportunity since there are opponents right behind him.

Seems like all three goals (Bros. Granlund and Mike Legg's) were scored from behind the net with little or no contact from defending players.

Really, though, the "airhook" is bush league stuff, cool as it is.

NHL rookies frequently get caught attempting flashy moves that would have played in the minors, but generally get their ass handed to them. (this, of course, is what makes it all the more special when an Alex Ovechkin or Bobby Ryan pulls an un-be-cool-lievable move out of their ass and makes it work.)
posted by ShutterBun at 5:50 AM on November 18, 2011

Also in my view that 1st goal would be dis-allowed as it was played with a stick above the crossbar of the net. Yes the puck was below the crossbar, and the blade was partially below the crossbar, but the stick wasn't. ( Note previously this NHL rule would disallow goals played above shoulder height. Have you seen Zdeno Chara lately?
posted by Gungho at 6:16 AM on November 18, 2011

What makes these types of goals legal is that they are done with the puck moving in one continuous forward motion (kind of like the spin-o-rama). A lot of people argue that they should be banned, but I think most leagues just find them too awesome to ban.
Incidentally, I had the chance to watch Mikael play during training camp this summer and the guy is amazing. He could stickhandle in a phone booth. The scrimmage I watched ended with a shootout and he had some similarly fancy moves that completely eluded the goaltender. I think he'll be a threat if he comes to play for Minnesota, or anywhere for that matter.
posted by Demogorgon at 7:05 AM on November 18, 2011

Also in my view that 1st goal would be dis-allowed as it was played with a stick above the crossbar of the net.

Correct. The referee erred if that goal counted. This was an international game, so we need to refer to the International Ice Hockey Foundation's rulebook, and sure enough, IIHF Rule 471.2 [pdf]

No goal shall be allowed:

(snip)

2. If an attacking player contacted the puck with the stick above the cross bar

The second goal is a brilliant goal that was about 5 cm from a major slashing penalty, and might have been over the bar as well, but from the angle we have, we simply cannot tell.
posted by eriko at 7:22 AM on November 18, 2011

Hmm. Actually, change that "5cm from a major slashing penalty" to "5cm from a double minor" in the IIHF. It would have been ruled as an injury without intent, since the play was clearly an attempt to score. In the NHL, a stick to the face that draws blood will always rate a major.


(Non hockey followers -- minor penalties result in the offender sitting out of the game for two minutes, a double minor is four, and a major is five. There are other details, but when you here "major fighting penalty", it isn't a random qualifier, it's stating that the player was sent off five minutes for fighting. Now you know where "Five for Fighting" go their name.")
posted by eriko at 7:29 AM on November 18, 2011

Helps to have a teammate lying on top of the goalie.
posted by surplus at 8:27 AM on November 18, 2011 [1 favorite]

Here's an article about why it is called a Floorball-style goal.
posted by NormsAndNedums at 8:34 AM on November 18, 2011

See also: Sydney Crosby
posted by antifuse at 8:50 AM on December 15, 2011