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"Coming Home" An Original Exclusive from Jarkko Olsen

Molholt

By Molholt
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Molholt

Molholt 2,185

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Before anyone ever cared about me in this league, I was a kid from Finland away from home. Then I came to Davos and my career turned around. It’s where I grew. It’s where I developed. It’s where I won. It’s where I lost. It holds a special place in my heart. People there have seen me grow up. I sometimes feel like I’m their son. Their passion can be overwhelming. But it drives me. I want to give them hope when I can. I want to inspire them when I can. My relationship with Davos is bigger than hockey. I didn’t realize that just four days ago. I do now.

 

I remember when I was sitting there in the Dynamo locker room and I was thinking, This is really tough. I could feel it. I was leaving something I had spent a long time creating. These past four seasons helped raise me into who I am. I became a better player and a better man. I learned from a franchise that had been where I wanted to go. I will always think of Davos as my second home. Without the experiences I had there, I wouldn’t be able to do what I’m doing today.

 

I went to Davos and felt at home because of Victor and Thomas Landry. I fell for Naomi Young. I fought with Davey Jones like a brother. I believed we could do something magical if we came together. And that’s exactly what we did! Nothing will ever change what we accomplished. We are brothers for life.

 

I’m doing this essay because I want an opportunity to explain myself uninterrupted. I don’t want anyone thinking: He and Jack Reilly don’t get along. … He and Lennox Moher don’t get along. … The Dynamo couldn’t put the right team together. That’s absolutely not true. In fact that is far from the truth.

 

I’m not having a press conference or a party. After this, it’s time to get to work.

 

When I left Finland, I was on a mission. I was seeking championships, and it took coming to Davos to get those. But Davos already knew that feeling. Davos shared that feeling with me, with my career. My goal is still to win as many titles as possible, no question. But what’s most important for me is showing my loyalty to the team, the CITY that brought me so much joy and memories I will never forget.

 

I always believed that I’d return to Davos and finish my career there. I just didn’t know when. After the season, free agency wasn’t even a thought. I looked at other teams, but I wasn’t going to leave Davos for anywhere except New York. I kid! The more time passed, the more it felt right. This is what makes me happy.

 

To make the move I needed the support of a lot of people, my friends, my teammates, my family. I also thought, what if I were a kid who looked up to an athlete, and that athlete made me want to do better in my own life, and then he left? How would I react?

 

I’m not promising a championship. I know how hard that is to deliver. I’m going into a situation with a young team and a new coach. I will be the old head. But I get a thrill out of bringing a group together and helping them reach a place they didn’t know they could go. I see myself as a mentor now and I’m excited to lead some of these talented young guys. I think I can help Kurtis Hunter become one of the best wingers in our league. I think I can help elevate Joshua Rubin and Griffin Simons. And I can’t wait to reunite with Lennox Moher, one of my favorite teammates.

 

But this is not about the roster or the organization. I feel my calling here goes above hockey. I have a responsibility to lead, in more ways than one, and I take that very seriously. My presence can make a difference in Davos, but I think it can mean more where I’m from. I want kids in Davos to realize that there’s no better place to grow up. Maybe some of them will come home after college and start a family or open a business. That would make me smile. Our community needs all the talent it can get.

 

In Davos, nothing is given. Everything is earned. You work for what you have.

 

I’m ready to accept the challenge. I’m coming home.

Edited by Molholt
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