June 04--TAMPA, Fla. -- After the Blackhawks defeated the Lightning in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final, Marian Hossa had high praise for the Hawks' newest star, 20-year-old Teuvo Teravainen.
"He doesn't seem to have a heartbeat," Hossa said. "He's so calm. He's Finnish cold."
Hossa might want to trademark that quote because "Finnish cold" has never been hotter.
Teravainen scored the tying goal and assisted on the winning goal in the third period of the Hawks' 2-1 victory.
In Finland, Teravainen said relatives and friends stayed up deep into Thursday morning watching the game. Those who made it to the end got a nice reward.
"The game started like 3 a.m. in Finland," Teravainen said. "I think there were still a lot of my friends and family (watching). It's great to score a goal. That was kind of a lucky one. But of course it's great for me, and I think Finland went a little crazy about it too."
When Teravainen joined the Hawks for a brief time last season, he needed time to develop into his skill set. This season -- and especially in the playoffs -- his game has grown to earn the trust of coach Joel Quenneville.
That isn't easy, considering Quenneville tends to trust veterans over young players in the playoffs. But games like Wednesday's are why Teravainen is on the ice, save for a head-scratching scratch in Game 3 of the Western Conference finals.
"He grows every day. Everybody sees that," defenseman Johnny Oduya said. "But he's a young kid. He expects a lot of things from himself. This organization has done a good job not to try to put too much pressure on him, just give him the opportunity."
One of Teravainen's best friends on the team is defenseman Kimmo Timonen, a fellow Finn who has helped mentor Teravainen since Timonen arrived in a trade with the Flyers in February. The 40-year-old Timonen has been a source of advice and someone who can relate to Teravainen.
"(He has) a lot of experience; it's great to have him here," Teravainen said. "He's been like a second dad for me because my real dad is far, far away in Finland."
Teravainen comes from a hockey family. Almost everybody plays, while his mother plays floorball, a floor hockey sport popular in Finland.
"My dad (plays hockey). My sister is pretty good too," Teravainen said. "My brother is pretty good. He's a defenseman.
"But I think right now I'm the best."
No one is going to argue that now.
chine@tribpub.com
