Red Wings prospect Vili Saarijarvi talks about the Firebirds and what’s next

 

By @MichaelCaples –

FLINT – Vili Saarijarvi knew he would face some adversity when he made the decision to join the Flint Firebirds this season.

A new team, a new town, a new league – Saarijarvi would face all of the things that a junior hockey player experiences when he joins a new program.

The 2015-16 Flint Firebirds season has made for many unusual experiences for the Red Wings’ draft pick, however.

Saarijarvi, 18, has been impressive in his debut OHL season, recording 32 points in 45 games while his team has dealt with international storylines of two coaching firings and the Flint water crisis.

“I don’t know,” Saarijarvi said last night when asked if he feels like Flint can’t catch a break. “I mean, it was obviously a big thing for Flint with the water thing, but it’s just things like I say I just try to control things what I can control. If I can help people, of course I’m more than happy to help people, but things like I can control are not like those big things.”

The ‘control what you can control’ message is one communicated to Saarijarvi by his parent club – the nearby Detroit Red Wings have been keeping a close eye on their third-round pick of the 2015 NHL Draft.

“Control things, what you can control,” Saarijarvi said. “That’s a big thing for me, too. That’s what I probably take most from them. Obviously, I know what things I need to work on. Just try to do everything that I can every day. Working hard as I can, like I say. I think that’s the main thing. Keep my mind positive with whatever happens. My goal is to play in the NHL, so everything I do, I try to do what helps me get the goal.”

Saarijarvi said he has taken comfort in the fact that his NHL team is close by while he deals with the eventful season in Flint.

“That’s obviously a good thing for me and for them, too,” he said. “I’m so happy that it is like that, it’s that close and I think, yeah, it’s a good thing.”

Recently, Detroit assistant general manager Ryan Martin told George Sipple of the Detroit Free Press that Saarijarvi will join either the Grand Rapids Griffins or the Toledo Walleye next season, effectively ending Saarijarvi’s time in Flint as soon as possible. Due to NHL/CHL agreements, Saarijarvi has to spend the rest of this season with the Firebirds – he cannot join the Wings’ AHL or ECHL clubs.

When asked if he wants to return to Flint next season, Saarijarvi said he isn’t sure.

“I mean…I mean, it’s tough,” Saarijarvi said. “Tough situation right now. I don’t know. I just try now to keep focusing and work as hard as I can every day. We’ll see. I mean, I don’t know, it’s a hard question. It’s been a huge year here, I think we have a good group of guys, but, like I said, I don’t know about next year. I think we’re going to talk about it later, like when the season is over, like when it comes closer.”

He had high praise for coaches John Gruden and Dave Karpa, who were both fired for a second time this season on Wednesday.

“It was a big thing for me and they helped me a lot and I’m thankful that I played for them,” Saarijarvi said. “Probably the best thing I got was my defensive game, how much they helped me, and then things like when it’s tough times, you have to fight through it and move forward.”

When asked if he regretted his decision to join Flint, Saarijarvi said he’s trying to not think about it.

“I don’t want to think about that much future, I just try to now control things that I can control,” Saarijarvi said. “I think it’s going to come later. We’re going to talk about it later, we’re going to talk about what the situation is for next year.”

He doesn’t regret his decision to come to North America, however. Saarijarvi spent the 2014-15 season with the Green Bay Gamblers of the USHL before moving on to Flint.

Saarijarvi also said he was pleased with how his Firebirds team performed Thursday night. The club may have lost 5-2 to the Erie Otters, but to say they had a lot to deal with before the game is an understatement.

“I think we compete pretty good,” Saarijarvi said. “It was a close game, then they got, I think lucky goals, the last one for sure. I think we played a pretty good game, and I think we showed that we can beat those guys, too.”