Juuso Pärssinen and Will Cuylle were both involved in a thrilling game on Monday night between Team Finland and Team Canada as part of the 2025 IIHF World Championship.
In what was an intense battle from start to finish with Finland defeating Canada 2-1 in a shootout.
Down 1-0 in the third period, Finland tied up the game and ultimately pulled off a massive upset against Canada in front of thousands of Finish fans roaring in excitement.
“It was unbelievable, our fans did a really good job,” Pärssinen said. “It was packed, they were loud. I’m really proud of our team.”
Finland came in as massive underdogs against Canada, but Pärssinen and the rest of the team didn't view it that way.
They were ready for the challenge, and it showed in their performance.
“Of course we know their roster, but we are not going into the game shaking or anything like that,” said Pärssinen. “If you want to beat a team that’s this good, you gotta come in with a lot of confidence and I think that’s how we came in today.”
Pärssinen went head-to-head against his Rangers teammate Will Cuylle in this matchup. He opened up about his mindset going up against a teammate and friend.
“It’s of course nice to play against friends, but when you’re on the ice and playing against him, you don’t think about that,” Pärssinen said about playing against Cuylle. “He’s an opponent.”
This is exactly the kind of jolt Finland needed heading into the quarterfinals of the World Championship which start on Thursday.
“This should be a huge confidence boost,” Pärssinen said. “We didn’t just win this game, we also played really, really good. That’s what we have to take away from the game.”
