CALGARY — Turns out Olli Jokinen took offence to the negative chatter surrounding his future last season when his contract expired with the New York Rangers.

From his off-season home in Florida, the returning Calgary Flame heard the whispers that he was done. He caught wind of the school of the thought that he was washed up and unlikely to find work in the National Hockey League.

“From a personal standpoint, I definitely want to bounce back and prove to myself that I’m a good player — an elite player — in this league,” Jokinen said Wednesday at a charity golf tournament luncheon at the Pengrowth Saddledome. “I’ve been playing this game for many, many years and people were questioning if I was going to play in the league anymore.”

The line of thinking, according to Jokinen, is preposterous.

“There were question marks where people were saying I was going to go to Russia,” he muttered. “I just don’t understand where that comes from.”

The speculation erupted in April after Jokinen missed in a shootout in the final game of the regular season. With that, the Rangers failed to qualify for the Stanley Cup playoffs and Jokinen became an outright free agent July 1.

The Finn made more than $5 million US last season, and he managed 15 goals and 50 points in a season divided between the Flames and the Rangers.

Clearly, the fans in both Calgary and Manhattan expected more.

And so did he.

“I want to be back as a point-per-game guy,” Jokinen pledged. “A top guy.

“The only thing I can control is how I play this year. I’m going to light it up this year, and nobody’s going to remember what happened last year. That’s the way it goes.”

The Flames dealt Jokinen and Brandon Prust to New York last winter for Ales Kotalik and Christopher Higgins. In a surprising move, the Flames re-signed Jokinen this summer to a two-year deal worth $6 million, with a no-movement clause to boot.

Jokinen intends to repay general manager Darryl Sutter for taking the heat.

“I feel like I should have played a lot better than I did last year,” he said. “But I feel if you take a look at the top players in the league and you look at their numbers over the last seven or eight years, there’s not too many guys who have been getting better and better year after year.”

Clearly, this is the year of the bounce for a gaggle of Flames coming off disappointing seasons including Jokinen, Jarome Iginla, Alex Tanguay, David Moss, Jay Bouwmeester, Daymond Langkow and Adam Pardy.

The fans can only hope.

Tanguay, 30, saw his ice time, confidence and production dwindle last season in a support role with the Tampa Bay Lightning. In 2006-07, he scored a career-high 81 points with the Flames. His stats dipped to just 10 goals and 37 points last season in Tampa.

“At the end of the year, I certainly took time to reflect on the things that went on,” he said. “And mentally, I just realized how much I like hockey. At times last year, I almost wanted to go away for a while.

“I feel good mentally. I feel good physically. I feel this is a good situation for me, and I’m hoping it can reflect on the ice.”

Jokinen echoes those sentiments.

“I told you guys a couple years ago when I came here that I’m hoping to stay the rest of my career,” he said. “I had a quick stop in New York, and I’m back.

“I’m not looking to move again.”

Calgary Herald

vhalltheherald.canwest.com