While he might be living in the United States for the first time, freshman forward Aarne Talvitie (Espoo, Finland) is quickly adapting to the workmanlike mentality of the Penn State men's hockey team.
"We have a similar schedule in Finland as we do here," Talvitie said. "We had a morning practice, then went to school, went home for a couple hours, ate, and then went back to the rink. The practices and classes are different, they're definitely more challenging, but I don't think there is a huge difference."
With that said, the adjustment to college life for any freshman can be difficult to manage at first. Talvitie acknowledged the degree of difficulty that took place initially with taking college-level courses at Penn State, while balancing his course load with practice and workouts.
"The first week was hectic, a lot of things going on with classes and things to get used to," Talvitie said. "Now I feel like it's not that bad. I've adjusted pretty well, getting used to my classes and how things work here."
He also acknowledged the aid that teammate Oskar Autio (Espoo, Finland) has provided in the transition. Beyond being roommates, Autio's previous experience playing in the United States last season definitely has helped the pair become accustomed to life as a student-athlete.
"We played on the same team growing up for three years," Talvitie said. "We've known each other for about 5-6 years. It's good to have somebody here who you know so well. We're both in the same spot, everything is new and we came from the same conditions, so we both know what we're going through, which helps a lot."
Autio also claimed that he speaks better English, a point that Talvitie definitely agrees with.
"I agree he has better English," Talvitie said. "Probably because he lived last year in Chicago so that kind of gives him the edge."
While Oskar feels like he would have the upper hand on his older brother Erik in a hypothetical shootout, Talvitie thinks that the familiarity the two players have with one another would play to Autio's strength.
"I'm pretty bad against him," Talvitie said. "He knows all my moves. If I'm being honest, I'd have a pretty poor score against him. If I'm lucky, I would put in maybe four out of 10."
While the adjustments to college life are well underway, the on-ice development from the Finnish game to American college hockey can take a little longer.
The smaller ice size and the increased pace of play can be tough to adapt to at first, but Talvitie is taking it all in stride, as he tries to work on adapting to the American game each day.
"The first couple practices were pretty tough," Talvitie said. "The pace is different because you have much less time to make decisions on the ice. When you get the puck, there's somebody always on you. After a couple weeks, you get used to it, you just have to be alert when you get the puck and you have to know where your teammates are."
Talvitie was drafted in the sixth round, 160th overall, by the New Jersey Devils in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft. Last season, he was the team captain of the Espoo Blues U20 team in Finland's Jr. A SM-liiga. Over the past two seasons, Talvitie skated in 94 games for the Blues U20 team while tallying 100 points.
He was also a three-year member of the Junior National Team of Finland, captaining his squad to a Silver Medal in last year's World Championships.
He plans on bringing the same leadership qualities that made him a captain in Finland to Penn State this coming season, even donning the No. 20 sweater that alternate captain Erik Autio wore during his time with the Nittany Lions. While he will wear the same number as Autio, Talvitie just wants to lead by example with his on-ice abilities.
"Erik was a great leader for this team, last year especially," Talvitie said. "He's the main reason why both me and (Oskar) are here. He came here as a Finnish guy and set the tone. I think (head) coach (Guy) Gadowsky really liked him and he did everything so well. But the number was just given to me."
Gadowsky approves of Talvitie so far as well, setting high expectations for the young Finnish forward as the 2018-19 season draws closer.
"Aarne is an experienced player who has played in a lot of international competition," Gadowsky said. "He is a very hard-nosed player who's talented offensively, but also tough to play against. He plays a strong 200-foot game and will be effective in all three zones."
While Talvitie might have NHL expectations placed on him sooner rather than later as a Devils prospect, he downplayed the pressure that being in such a position puts on his game.
"I don't feel like there's pressure. I'll do what I have to do and let's see where it goes. When somebody asks me if I'll be in the NHL one day, I don't know. Only time will tell."
