Rovaniemi Nordmen sign trio of former-Roosters for 2026 season
After back-to-back seasons of coming up short of their goal of winning the SAJL’s 2nd Division, the Warriors of the Four Winds are looking to turn the corner in 2026 with the important and impactful additions of three, former-Helsinki Roosters. The Nordmen will be stronger in all phases of the game for the upcoming 2nd Division season, thanks to the additions of DB Roni Laine, DB/RB Kaarle Silander and DE Antti Pokela. With all three players having previously played for the Nordmen, this summer will have a strong homecoming-feel when the Warriors of the Four Winds take the field.
L-R: Roni Laine, Kaarler Silander, Antti Pokela
Don’t call it a comeback
After starting his career with the Rovaniemi Nordmen and helping anchor their defensive secondary during their 2019 Iron Bowl run, Roni Laine makes his return to the Nordmen ranks in 2026. Roni has absolutely grown and developed as a player since those early days – both physically and in terms of his skill set and knowledge of the game. Departing the Nordmen in 2020 and signing with the Kuopio Steelers of the Maple League, Laine immediately made an impact on a squad that won three Maple Bowls in a row from 2020 – 2022. During this time, Laine also became a stalwart of the Finnish National Team; bringing home a bronze medal in 2021 from the European Championships.
Laine continued to play in Kuopio for the 2023 season, after which he transferred to the perennial Finnish powerhouse – the Helsinki Roosters – in 2024. In that 2024 season, Laine added yet another Maple Bowl win to his résumé, bringing his total to four championships in five seasons. After adding to his hardware collection in 2024, Laine took the 2025 season off, but has returned to his hometown of Rovaniemi and brings with him a wealth of knowledge and experience that will assuredly add exponential value to the 2026 Rovaniemi Nordmen.
The King has returned
If you ever talk to Kaarle Silander, you’ll probably find him to be one of the most soft-spoken and mild-mannered people you will ever meet. In fact, once you get to know Kaarle – or King Charles, as we affectionately refer to him as -, you can’t help but think of the proverb that Teddy Roosevelt said long ago, “speak softly and carry a big stick.” For Kaarle, his big stick is his fire and energy for the game – and boy does he have a damn big stick.
Starting his football journey way back in 2015 with the Rovaniemi Nordmen, Kaarle transferred to play with the East City Giants in 2016. Taking a few years off to focus on his studies, Silander returned to Rovaniemi in 2019 and rejoined the Nordmen ranks for the first time. Silander would spend the 2019 – 2023 seasons with the Warriors of the Four Winds, before transferring to the Helsinki Roosters, as he moved to capital area for a work assignment. Winning the Maple Bowl with the Roosters in 2024 marked Silander’s third championship in Finland, with Iron Bowl wins in 2019 & 2023 being the other two. After being reassigned to Lapland for work, King Charles has come full-circle and returned home – once more.
2024 Nordmen MVP back for another season of greatness?
For Antti Pokela, coming back to Rovaniemi couldn’t happen fast enough – or at least that’s how we feel. Beginning his football career with the NDU Black Knights in 2018, Pokela got his first taste of football and enjoyed two seasons while studying at the National Defense University in Helsinki, playing primarily on the offensive side of the ball. Upon completing his studies, Pokela took a break from the playing field and was stationed in Sodankylä, about 130km north of Rovaniemi.
In 2022, the football bug bit him again when he returned to the field; this time as a wide receiver with the Nordmen. 2023 saw a change of position for Pokela, as he moved from offense to defense and became a full-time starter at the defensive end position. Pokela thrived in this role, helping to establish the 2023 Nordmen defense as a force to be reckoned with on their way to an undefeated season and their second Iron Bowl win. Although 2024 was a step back for the team, Pokela enjoyed his best year yet, earning team MVP honors – the first and only primarily defensive player to do so in the club’s history.* After his MVP run, Pokela transferred to the Helsinki Roosters for the 2025 season, coinciding with his extended studies at the National Defense University. After a single-season pit-stop in Helsinki, Antti Pokela returns home where is blue-bleeding heart belongs.
What to expect from the returning Nordmen
Laine, Silander and Pokela all bring a strong work ethic, indelible team-first attitude and expansive knowledge in their respective roles with the 2026 Rovaniemi Nordmen, but they are also very unique players in their own rights.
Laine’s extensive experience in the Maple League will make him an integral part in the leadership and development of some of the Nordmen’s younger and less experienced defensive secondary, allowing HC Jussi Taipalmaa to install a new defense that he brings with him from the Tampere Saints and U19 Finnish National Team. Look for Laine to be the field general, along with Miika Sipiläinen, of a defensive back squad that already encompasses strong players including Konsta Hämäläinen, Jukka Lind, and rookie Matias Kauppinen, as well as Silander likely getting snaps at DB, too.
Silander brings with him a sort of Swiss Army Knife style of play. Having started at both RB and CB for the Nordmen, he shows great versatility on the field and can be utilized in a variety of settings. His kick return abilities are also not to be undersold, as he has excelled in this role over years past. Look for Silander to carve out his niche among the stable of Rovaniemi running backs, including Miika Virkki (RB/WR), Atte Järvelin, and rookie Juuso Herranen, but don’t be surprised to see him on the defensive side of the ball, helping the secondary shut down any and all aerial attacks that opposing offenses may try to mount.
Pokela comes back to the Nordmen with a fire in his belly that will be a very welcome addition to the Nordmen defensive front. A high-motor and a nose for the QB, Pokela is a handful for any offensive tackle that has the misfortune of having to go against him all game. The only pure DE on the roster, Pokela will be lining up beside the depth of the Nordmen defensive line players that will likely be rotating in and out to keep fresh and allowing Pokela plenty of opportunities to bring his own version of chaos to the defensive line.
Welcome home, boys!
*Petri Korhonen also was twice named team MVP in 2015 & 2016, but he played both ways (OL & DL).
