Dec 29, 2022
At this year's World Junior Championship, Team Finland has a player whose last name is Suomi. "Suomi" means "Finland" in Finnish. Dude's name is Jimi Suomi, who literally has his country's name as his last name and his first name is Jimi but spelled in the coolest possible way.
Wait, what? HIS NAME IS JIMI SUOMI?? JAMES/JIMMY FINLAND???? (Jimmy Finland sounds like a guitarist lolol)
So Suomi playing for the name on the front and the back of his sweater. Very sweet, great stuff there.
On the other hand, there's another notable name in the lineup that is Brad Lambert, who is from.. Finland.
Wait, what????
What a classic Finnish name he has. Is there a more Finnish name than Brad Lambert? There will never be, it's the most Finnish name I've ever heard.
The name Brad Lambert is a so disappointing one for a Finn, definitely the least Finnish name that's ever existed, possibly ever.* It's been a while now since I saw him first at the same tournament a few years back, yet still a bit weird to see a player skating around the ice with the Suomi jersey that has Lambert sewed on. And also, I may never get used to hearing the commentators saying "a Finnish kid Brad Lambert," it's a very rare occasion in North Americans pronouncing a Finnish name right.
(His mum is Finnish and dad is Canadian so he's half Canadian, which explains his boring name. I wonder though if his parents ever considered naming their son a more Finnishish first name, not so English name Brad)
* Aleksander Barkov is the first non traditional Finnish name that pops into my mind. Florida Panthers captain "Sasha" Barkov is a Finnish hockey player whose parents are both Russians. His farther's name is Alexander Barkov Sr., and he was named after his dad. His folks made a slight spelling change to Aleksander though, so that it looks more likely to be a Finn? But to be fair, Alexander is a popular name worldwide timelessly, it's almost impossible to guess the nationality of someone who goes by Alexander solely based on the first name since Alex could be from literally everywhere in the world. My one takeaway from here is that Mr. Barkov and Mrs. Barkova did the bare minimum in order to give their boy a less Russian name unlike Brad's parents.
Back to Jimi
After learning that there's a player with the last name Suomi on the Suomi WJC U20 team, I've been obsessed with that since. How is this a real name, seriously? What's more hilarious is that Suomi is actually a fairly common surname in Finland according to the Finns. I mean, could you imagine, it's like if there was a kid named Ryan Canada on Team Canada.
It is fun? LOL
Jimmy Finland
Ryan Canada
Eva Austria
Grace Germany
Ursula Latvia
Bibi Switzerland
Becka Sweden
Amy America
Simon Slovakia
David Czechia
Reily Russia
Kim Korea ㅋㅋ It has to be Kim inevitably, what more an appropriate (western) first name is there in the universe that perfectly suits with Korea than Kim?!!!
Jimi Suomi has become my new favourite WJC player because of his name, it's arguably the best hockey name of all time. I just can't get over the fact that he has Suomi in the front as well as back of his jersey. Look at the photo, how cool is that.
Speaking of a hockey name, there's a skater whose name is Marcel Marcel on the Czechia U20 roster. Another top tier name. Last year they had Ivan Ivan Ivan or Ivan³ on the squad, and the Czechs are back with.. Marcel Marcel or Marcel² this year. What's with Czechia and naming their kid things like Ivan Ivan Ivan and Marcel Marcel? (And meanwhile, I'm lowkey disappointed Marcel's middle name is not also Marcel)
Such a bummer they couldn't be on the same team. It would've been awesome if they were on the same line playing for Czechia.
2022 WJC Team Czechia #16 Ivan Ivan Ivan
2023 WJC Team Czechia #16 Marcel Marcel, patiently waiting whilst his goal being under review
Marcel Marcel's billet family in Halifax to cheer him on at the WJC after a 14 hour drive from Gatineau, Quebec
Marcel Marcel's billet brother crossing his fingers during video review
No luck, while his billet family disappointed, Marcel Marcel having a great reaction to his goal being overturned
Jimi Suomi, Marcel Marcel, and Ivan Ivan Ivan all need to go into the Hall of Fame. When I see this kind of names, I've got a feeling that I should be rooting for them automatically. I think anybody with a name like that simply deserves it 'cause they are the most unique and sickest and coolest hockey name ever.
