Finland: Maple League kicks off with 7 teams
Finland’s Maple League kicks off its 2021 season Saturday, June 12 with seven teams vying for the Maple Bowl title.
The 2020 champion Kuopio Steelers will be defending their title against last year’s Maple Bowl opponents, the Helsinki Wolverines along with semifinalists, the Seinäjoki Crocodiles and Wasa Royals as well as 22-time Maple Bowl winners, the Helsinki Roosters, Porvoon Butchers and newcomers to the league, the UNC Crusaders.
Each team will play an eight-game regular season which runs from June 12 to August 28. The semifinals are scheduled for the weekend of September 4/5 while the Maple Bowl will be held September 11.
Kuopio Steelers: 2020 Record 6-1 – Maple Bowl Champions
Head coach: Pekka Utriainen
Key returning players: DL Semmie Radji (Netherlands, Hildesheim Invaders), DL Aatu Suhonen (Finnish, Rostock Griffins, Hameenlinna Huskies), DL Janni Lindqvist (Finnish veteran National team). FB Ville Lindsten (Finnish veteran) OL Roope Korhonen (Finnish) WR Jaakko Paananen (London NFL Academy) OL Oskari Laitinen (Finnish).
Key additions: QB Joey Bradley (USA, Veteran New Haven NCAA D2, Lisboa Devils, Vysocina Gladiators), WR Alexandre Jefferson (France Thonon Black Panthers), RB Le’Anthony Reasnover (USA Eureka College NCAA D3), LB Maurice Wright Jr. (USA Northwestern Oklahoma State NCAA D2), Ikeen Allen (USA, Miami (OH) NCAA D1), OL Basil Weber (Swiss New Yorker Lions GFL Champion), DB Lars Steffen (German New Yorker Lions).
Helsinki Wolverines: 2020 Record 4-3 – Maple League finalists
Head Coach: Michael Mattingly (2nd year)
Key returning players: QB/WR Cedric Johnson (USA Veteran counts as EU, due to time in Finland), DL Benjamin Egbudiwe (Swedish,, Stockholm Mean Machine), RB/LB Jonathan EL Quacef (EU), DB Arttu Ketonen (Finnish, league leader in interceptions in 2020).
Key additions: TE Mavin Saunders (USA Florida State NCAA D1 LG OLED Black Demons), DB Curtis Slater (USA multi-year veteran of Helsinki Roosters, West Texas A&M NCAA D2), RB Breon Allen (USA East Carolina University NCAA D1 AFI All-Pandemic 2020), DB/LB Eric Irvin (USA, Multi-year veteran counts as EU, due to time in Finland), LB Willy Lindfors (Finnish), TE/FB Asko Mäntymäki (Finnish Veteran Tampere Saints, Seinajoki Crocodiles, Hameenlinna Huskies), WR Juuso Alakoski (Finnish Tampere Saints, Hameenlinna Huskies), OL Tuomas Tammero (Finnish Potsdam Royals), DB Dejion Lynch (USA Southeastern University NCAA D1 FCS).
Wasa Royals: 2020 Record 3-3 – Reached Semi-Finals
Head coach: John Booker (Royals HC in 2017, OC in 2020)
Key returning players: QB Brandon Gwinner (USA, SUNY Morrisville NCAA D3, Bialystok Lowlanders), RB Nico Barrow (Finnish) RB Tom Suoste (Finnish Veteran), DL Marrti Kass (Finnish Veteran), DB Jani Manderbacka (Finnish), Jussi Kaas (Finnish), WR Aaro Tuovinen (Finnish).
Key additions: DT Ray Lima (USA Iowa State NCAA D1, Miami Dolphins), S Tommy Kaczocha (USA/Poland Centre University NCAA D3, Kuopio Steelers, Bialystok Lowlanders, AFI All Pandemic Team 2021), LB Sam Dickey (USA Kenyon University NCAA D3), WR Jan Hochschild (German Ingolstadt Dukes), OL Thomas Schmidt (German Ingolstadt Dukes), Nana Olavuo (woman, Finnish assistant coach 1st female coach in Maple League history).
Seinäjoki Crocodiles: 2020 Record 3-3 – Reached Semi-Finals
Head Coach: Samu Juppo
Key returning players: RB Christian Powell (USA Veteran, Colorado University NCAA D1 Maple League’s leading rushing 2020 & 2019), WR/DB Nathaniel Robitaille (USA Schwabisch Hall Unicorns, Stonehill College NCAA D2), OL Antti Rinta-aho (Finnish), RB/LB Veika Lehtonen (Finnish Veteran, LB Jaska Värinen (Finnish veteran, league leader in tackles in 2020), LB Saidou Jallow (Finnish) DL Filip Zacok (Finnish Indiana State University NCAA D1 FCS).
Key additions: QB Zachary Whitehead (USA, Kings College NCAA D3), Jefferson Davis (UK/Finland Wasa Royals, Biberach Beavers), WR Benjamin Plu (France, CFL BC Lions, Thonon Black Panthers), DB Anthony Rodrigues (France Thonon Black Panthers).
Helsinki Roosters: 2020 Record 2-3
Head Coach: Juha Hakala
Key returning players: QB Miro Kadmiry (Finnish National Team, only Finnish QB starting in the Maple League), RB Karri Pajarinen (Finnish UNLV NCAA D1), WR Arttu Erkkilä (Finnish) OL Richard Laine (Finnish), OL Matthew Daltrey (UK), DL Cameron Gruel (French, Marseille Blue Stars), DL Lauri Aho (Finnish), DL Okko Outinen (Finnish veteran National Team), DB/LB Akseli Olin (Finnish), DL Jere Lahti (FInnish National team), DB Ville Rontu (Finnish National Team), DB Arttu Pajarinen (Finnish).
Key Additions: RB/WR Andrecus Lindley (USA, Jacksonville State NCAA D1 FCS, Ravensburg Razorbacks, Marburg Mercenaries), WR/DB Lorenzo Melchiorre (USA, James Madison University NCAA D1 FCS Lazio Ducks), DB Kevin Walcott (USA, San Diego State NCAA D1).
Porvoo Butchers: 2020 Record 0-5
Head coach: Jim Nendel (1st year) (Coached the Butchers in 201/11: Won Maple Bowl 2010)
Key returning players: QB Jabari Harris (USA, counts as EU, due to time in Finland, Helsinki Roosters, ECG, Helsinki Wolverines, Bialystok Lowlanders), WR Mikko Seppänen (Finnish), DB Wilhem Stigzelius (Finnish), LB/DB Niko Roiko (Finnish), OL Arttu Tennberg (Finnish, Dresden Monarchs, Swarco Raiders).
Key additions: LB Alvin Reels (USA Dakota State NAIA Straubing Spiders), RB Sean Mcallen (Worcester Polytechnic Institute NCAA D3), WR RJ Long (USA veteran McMurry University NCAA D3, Wasa Royals, Helsinki Wolverines), WR Marcus Siiskonen (Finnish Helsinki Wolverines), OL Väino Pääkkönen (Finnish Towson University NCAA D1 FCS).
UNC Crusaders: 2020 record Finnish 1st Division 5-2 – Spaghetti Bowl Champs (1st division)
Head coach: Tuomas Heikkinen (1st year: former national team coach)
Key returning players: QB Robert Johnson (USA, counts as EU, due to time in Finland, Texas Tech, Roosters, Wolverines), WR Henri Norstrom (Finnish), WR Eetu Päiväniemi (Finnish), LB Jari-Antti Jääskeläinen (Finnish).
Key additions: LB Michael Hall (USA, veteran Spain, Norway, Germany), WR/DB Finn Kearns (Ireland, Ravensburg Razorbacks), WR Jonelle Tolbert (USA/Canadian, York University (CIS) Solingen Paladins), Kam Harris (USA veteran UNC in 2019), LB Daniel Szatmari (Hungarian/Canadian Wilfrid Laurier University (CIS).
Graphics: Igor Lazarevic
Research: Alex Malchow
