The Victoria Royals’ Finnish-import Markus Loponen said it was like a whirlwind when he was selected in the fifth round of the 2024 NHL draft and then suddenly on a plane to the Winnipeg Jets’ summer prospects camp.
“Everything happened so fast. I got a call from my agent and everything started happening,” said the six-foot-one forward.
The Jets’ main training camp last month was even more of an eye-opener for the international, who represented Finland at the 2023 Under-18 Hlinka Gretzy Cup: “The game is so fast, tough and physical up there at the pro level. That was a very good experience for me to play against adults.”
Loponen was selected by the Royals 23rd overall this summer in the 2024 Canadian Hockey League import draft. It is going to take time to learn the North American game, which is played on a smaller ice sheet than in Europe.
“The biggest difference is space and time. It’s a totally different game,” he said.
“You have to make decisions more quickly here. I’m getting better at it every game. The games here are also more physical.”
Heading into tonight’s Western Hockey League contest at Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre against the Prince Albert Raiders, Loponen has a goal and two assists for three points in his six games for Victoria since coming from the Jets’ camp, but appears to have a high ceiling: “I’m a two-way centre, on both sides of the puck, with offensive skills and I want to use those. It takes time to get there. The Jets want me to get to play the North American style.”
In his first year of eligibility, Loponen is an outside contender for the Finnish team at the 2025 world junior (U-20) tournament in Ottawa, but will be a bigger factor for consideration in 2026: “I have played with the national team in two tournaments this year but I don’t know how it goes from there.”
Loponen is getting used to the North American lifestyle off the ice, as well. He enjoys Finnish music and also rap but country seems to be the choice of the Royals dressing room because of the number of Prairie players on the team.
“I have started listening a little bit to country, too, because those guys [Royals teammates] are crazy about that,” quipped Loponen.
Whatever they are listening to, it seems to be working for the Royals, who have the second-best winning percentage in the Western Conference at 5-1-2. The Raiders, led by Seattle Kraken 2023 NHL second-round draft pick Lukas Dragicevic from Richmond, come into their once-every-two-years visit to the Memorial Centre tonight sitting last in the Eastern Conference at 2-5-2.
