BEIJING (AP) 鈥� Marko Anttila had time for many thoughts while in isolation at the Olympics.
鈥淐an I play here or not?鈥� was one of them.
The Finnish hockey veteran spent six days at an isolation hotel after testing positive for the coronavirus upon arrival in Beijing, wondering when he could resume his quest for gold. Anttila returned for the second game of the tournament, scored twice, and on Sunday will play in looking to help deliver the country's first Olympic hockey gold medal.
鈥淚 was thinking that we can win something here and how (would) it feel after that to be isolated and win something," Anttila said. "The target was to be here and enjoy and have this dream come true. Now it鈥檚 possible."
It's possible thanks in part to Anttila, a 36-year-old alternate captain at the Olympics who has worn the 鈥淐鈥� for Finland at the past two world championships and is a respected leader in the locker room. He scored in his first game back and again in the quarterfinals.
鈥淗e must be feeling it in his legs the first couple games when he came back and the first practice, but he鈥檚 a pro,鈥� former NHL defenseman Sami Vatanen said Saturday after the Finns' final Olympic practice. 鈥淗e knows what it takes to win the games, and he鈥檚 doing everything to help the team. (He) leads us the right way, shows us how to battle and win the little things on the ice.鈥�
Despite feeling no symptoms, Anttila could not skate in the first few practices at the Olympics. Thinking about the possibility of winning the tournament motivated him to do a few extra workouts in his room while biding his time.
There was a lot of time to kill, and the mental anguish was worse than the physical toll.
鈥淚 was just lonely in a hotel room,鈥� Anttila said. 鈥淚t wasn鈥檛 easy."
He made it look easy getting back in playing condition. General manager Jere Lehtinen, who played in the final in 2006 the last time Finland got that far at the Olympics, credits Anttila's off-ice routine that has gotten more rigorous with age.
鈥淵ou have to do that even more and more, and he鈥檚 doing a good job for that and that鈥檚 why he鈥檚 playing at that level,鈥� Lehtinen said. 鈥淒on鈥檛 see any tiredness from him.鈥�
Of course, Anttila isn't tired. After six days of doing nothing, he had plenty of pent-up energy.
Captain Valtteri Filppula joked that playing after getting freed from isolation 鈥渟eems to be working for鈥� Anttila, who was joined briefly at the hotel by Jussi Olkinuora, the goaltender in net when Finland came back from a three-goal deficit to beat rival Sweden in the preliminary round finale.
While Olkinuora has since given way to Harri Sateri in goal, Anttila's line became coach Jukka Jalonen's pick to start every game. That's because, Lehtinen said, 鈥淲e know what they can do.鈥�
Jalonen knows Anttila well and is not at all surprised to see this performance at the Olympics.
鈥淗e鈥檚 mentally a very tough individual,鈥� said Jalonen, who has coached Anttila for more than a decade. 鈥淲e knew that when he was coming back that he had time enough to get physically in great condition. That鈥檚 what he鈥檚 doing at the moment.鈥�
When it was taking several days to pass consecutive COVID-19 tests to get cleared, Anttila was making sure he wouldn't need too much time to get back up to speed. That isolation work paid off so far, though Finland has left the Olympics before with silver and Anttila wants to be part of the country's first team to bring home gold.
鈥淚t鈥檚 our job to be ready when the chance comes and to do everything that you can to prepare yourself," he said. "Hopefully now mine and the team鈥檚 best game is ahead of us.鈥�
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Stephen Whyno, The Associated Press
