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Kasperi Kapanen readjusting to life after his Golden Goal at the World Juniors

Daniel Nugent-Bowman

Reverberations from The Goal are still noticeable less than three weeks later.

Of course Kasperi Kapanen still feels them.

But the man whose overtime wraparound won Finland the World Junior Championship on home ice is trying to ensure he winds up being known for much more.

“It’s not like I’m going to forget it,” Kapanen said when asked Saturday how often he thinks about his famous marker. “It’s kind of fading away a little bit now.

“I’m here at the Ricoh (Coliseum) and playing with these guys. I’ll try to score a lot more goals here.”

Yes, Kapanen is in the early stages of life after the golden goal. The 6-foot-1, 180-pound winger is settling back in with the AHL’s Toronto Marlies.

Kapanen, a former first-round NHL pick, scored for the first time since that famous last time as the Marlies doubled up on the Utica Comets 4-2 on Saturday. The winger also added an assist.

“He’s coming. He seems to be finding himself again here,” Marlies coach Sheldon Keefe said. “We’ve finally had some time for him to get on the ice in practice and work out and get him in the regular routine that he was accustomed to.”

Life was a bit of a whirlwind for Kapanen in the days following that Jan. 5 goal in Helsinki.

Finland's Kasperi Kapanen (R) celebrates with teammates after winning their 2016 IIHF World Junior Ice Hockey Championship final match against Russia in overtime, in Helsinki, Finland, January 5, 2016. REUTERS/Roni Rekomaa/Lehtikuva ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY. NOT FOR SALE FOR MARKETING OR ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS. THIS PICTURE IS DISTRIBUTED EXACTLY AS RECEIVED BY REUTERS, AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS. NO THIRD PARTY SALES. NOT FOR USE BY REUTERS THIRD PARTY DISTRIBUTORS. FINLAND OUT. NO COMMERCIAL OR EDITORIAL SALES IN FINLAND.

He recalls his Finnish teammates chasing him down and jumping on him. Scoring at such a crucial moment on home ice with his family in attendance – including his father, former NHLer Sami Kapanen – is something he’ll “remember forever.”

That led to celebrations in the streets by fans au naturel. The team went to Burger King and then there was a gathering at Helsinki Olympic Stadium.

And the post-goal euphoria – Kapanen being chased down – is depicted on a postage stamp.

“It’s pretty neat. Not everyone 19-year-old gets their face on a stamp,” Kapanen said. “It’s something special. But you can’t get cocky about it. You’ve got to come back down to Earth. I think I’m doing a good job of that.”

Even though Kapanen recorded three assists in his first four AHL games upon his return, he said the adjustment back to North American hockey has had its challenges.

For his part, Keefe believes Kapanen’s adjustments are more to do with him being a 19-year-old playing professional hockey than anything else.

That means constant reminders are required to ensure defensive responsibilities are fulfilled. Kapanen also needs use his speed more to create offence.

Kapanen’s stats – six goals and 15 points in 22 games – are modest, but he remains a top Toronto Maple Leafs prospect. He was acquired from Pittsburgh in July 2015 as part of the Phil Kessel deal.

“He’s still maturing. He’s still growing a lot,” Keefe said. “There’s a ton there to work with. We’re excited about him.”

So Keefe believes Kapanen still has more to give.

But any shortcomings haven’t been because he’s living on past deeds – no matter how impressive.

“I haven’t noticed much of a difference, or any difference, in his demeanour,” the bench boss said. “He’s been business as usual.

“That was a big moment in his life and his career certainly. But he’s back to work here to make sure that’s not the last big moment he has.”

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