Canada is the first team that qualified for the WFC 2022 besides Host Switzerland. Floorball Canada-Coach Otto Moilanen answered a few questions for us.

First of all, congrats for the qualification for the WFC 2022 in Switzerland. But first, let us look back to the two games against USA. They were close at times, so what made the difference for Canada?

• We had two super tight games against the US and the margins were small. It is very difficult to evaluate what eventually made the difference. We are glad that the core of the team

The games were played in the new format with three periods of 15 minutes instead of 20. How did that impact your game?

• The biggest impact was by far that we played both two games basically with two lines instead of regular three. For the game itself it didn’t have that big impact – the event itself is a very fast paced and compared to 3 x 20 minutes the time flies.

How was the team different from the team we saw at the WFC 2020 in Helsinki?

• We had three important players missing from the WFC 2020. For the team it was obviously a challenge to play without the two best scorers from the WFC 2020; Valtteri Viitakoski and Brandon Barber, but simultaneously it also made possible for new young players to play in a bigger role.

Before the WFC 2022 in Switzerland, there’s another big event – The World Games in Birmingham. How do you prepare your team for this tournament?

• Participating in The World Games is a once in a lifetime opportunity for Floorball Canada for the obvious reason that the games will be played on North American soil and it will be a great opportunity for us to get more visibility in also in Canada. TWG is a chance for us to get more quality games and will help us prepare for November.

What are the goals for The World Games?

• Develop our game and get valuable lessons for our individual players about playing against the best teams in the world. Obviously, we also want to be the best non-European team as in the previous two WFCs.

Apart from The World Games how do you prepare for the WFC 2022?

• We focus on making sure that the individual players who are potential WFC players will have the best possible preparation and circumstances in their home clubs. This is where it gets tricky for teams like Floorball Canada; We want simultaneously to develop the domestic League in Canada but also to have as many players as possible playing in the best leagues in Europe.

And apart from the sport, what are you most looking forward to about the WFC in Switzerland?

• Butterzopf (traditional Swiss bread), Erdbeerkonfi (Strawberry Jam) and Heidi Milk.