Former Edmonton Oiler Iiro Pakarinen suited up in 134 games with the Edmonton Oilers over parts of four seasons, and it appears the Finnish right winger didn't exactly see eye-to-eye with head coach Todd McLellan and the Oilers organization.
Speaking with Finnish publication MTVuutiset, Pakarinen, who left the NHL this spring for the KHL after signing with Metallurg Magnitogorsk was asked for his thoughts on how the organization communicated with their players following fellow Finn Jesse Puljujärvi's demotion to the Bakersfield Condors of the AHL after recording only a single goal in eleven games to open up the season.
**The following text is translated through Google translate.**
"There's nothing to say or talk about why you do not play."
"The head coach will never say any reason or cause. in general, the head coach or GM give very little of any messages. There is such a secret information. It is, in my opinion, quite incomprehensible, Pakarinen continues the process.
"At NHL it feels like the head coach is a great ego. Of course, the head coach is going to talk to some of the players about something else, but never really personally, about any jokes. There's never to say anything about it if it does not play. It remained the most irritating thing in the mind."
Given the talent with Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl leading the charge in their forward group, the 27-year-old said: "the club does not in any way find a recipe for success."
"We went once to the playoffs and then the group had a really great feeling - that's what we did. I do not know if the expectations then went too high. It may not have been a team to deal with that situation. Then in the fall year, nobody could expect anything from us. Then all that came to us was a victory."
This isn't the first time McLellan has faced scrutiny. After the Sharks missed the playoffs in the 2014-15 season that subsequently led to the firing of the then Sharks head coach, Joe Thornton questioned McLellan's lack of communication inside the Sharks' dressing room.
Through 27 games with Magnitogorsk Metallurg to date, Pakarinen has notched 9 points (9 goals, 0 assists) in 27 games.
