Blues' Ken Hitchcock impressed by 26-year-old rookie Jori Lehtera's 'moxie'
A chance encounter between St. Louis Blues general manager Doug Armstrong and 2008 third-round draft pick Lori Lehtera at the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi, Russia put the Finnish Olympian on a direct path to the NHL for this season.
"It was accidental,” Lehtera told St. Louis Post-Dispatch reporter Jeremy Rutherford this weekend of his conversation with Armstrong. "I saw him, I went to him to say ‘Hi.’...I told him I [made] a mistake and he told me, ‘Come next year.’"
The 26-year-old winger played in seven AHL games before returning to Finland, and ultimately end up in Russia, where he's played for the past five seasons. Over the course of those five seasons, Lehtera's game has matured, and he believes he's now better prepared for the rigors of playing the NHL.
"When I got drafted, I was a bad skater and now it’s my strength," Lehtera said. "I think now I’m an [all-around] player, I can do everything...much better player than back then. They really wanted me to come here and I wanted to come here, so I think that’s the best timing."
Lehtera was a key contributor for a stingy Suomi side that managed to win a bronze medal in Sochi. His performance throughout the tournament impressed Blues head coach Ken Hitchcock, who would seem to have high hopes for his club's newest asset.
"I watched Lehtera in the Olympics start at the back of the bus and move to the front of the bus," Hitchcock said. "I was impressed. Then I watched him in all the games at the World Championships. He was a go-to guy in every situation, offensively, defensively, power play, penalty killing. Against good players, he played big minutes.
"I don’t know where Jori’s going to end up. I don’t know how high up the ladder he’s going to go, but the thing that impresses any coach is ‘moxie.’ That’s the word that I would use that he has - he’s got moxie. He’s got the ability on the ice of finding a way to impact the game."
Could Lehtera start the season on a line with former Sibir teammate Vladimir Tarasenko? Tarasenko certainly sounds like he'd welcome the opportunity.
"We played together in Russia for a couple years, [and] it was a really good time," Tarasenko said. "He’s a really skilled player. He can score, he can pass. I liked to play with him."
As for Lehtera, he's just letting it all sink it.
"[It feels] really good, really good," Lehtera said of preparing for his delayed rookie season in the NHL. "It’s been my dream since I was a little kid."