Olli Määttä: in a rough situation in Utah

Philadelphia

Thence it’s been well over a month since Olli Määtä31, was last in the Utah Mammoth lineup. Määtta played 12:30 minutes against the Boston Bruins on December 17.

Since then, he has had to pee in the stands. There is no space in the assembly.

“Of course, the season has not gone as I would have hoped,” Määttä says.

In the fall, Määttä, 31, suffered an injury, but recently he has been fit to play.

“We’ve just been playing so well as a team lately. That’s probably why I haven’t been able to fit into the lineup,” he says.

The Mammoth are currently firmly locked in a playoff spot. It’s not easy to break into a winning lineup.

Rotten has played only 19 games this season and collected one assist.

The position of the Finnish defender has changed dramatically since last season.

Last season, Määttä contracted big minutes as a credit man for Utah’s back lines and earned no less than a three-year contract extension with a season salary of 3.5 million dollars.

At that time, you could not have imagined that the Finnish defender would sit in the stands for the majority of the games this season.

Määtä’s situation has gotten to the point that his name is now circulating in transfer rumors.

“I’ve tried to turn this situation into a positive. That is, train as well as possible,” he says.

Määtä’s playing load has been so light that he has been able to focus on, for example, physical training during the season.

Of course, he would rather sweat in the rink than in the gym.

of Milan Conkari is going to the Olympics with enthusiasm. There will probably be playing minutes there.

“I’m even more excited about going to the Olympics now that this season hasn’t gone as hoped,” Määtta announces.

Rotten is Leijoni’s credit defender for several championships.

He has usually played well in the national team, but now he arrives in Milan after a long break. It’s not an optimal situation.

“Of course, that’s been on my mind too. But like I said, I’ve been working hard. I’m really not in bad shape.”

Määttä is not satisfied with his performances this season. He knows that, for example, he has to get out of the pressure faster.

“It’s definitely the most difficult thing in a defender’s job. Three forwards come on a hundred times when the puck goes deep,” sighs Määtta.

“You just have to get out of that pressure. These days, defenders are very good at that. And I just have to keep up with the development.”