Sledge Spotlight: Tarmo Eerma

Defenseman Tarmo Eerma will lead Estonia in two major competitions prior to the IPC Ice Sledge Hockey World Championships B-Pool in Nagano. 20 Feb 2013

Tarmo Eerma will try to lead Estonia to their first Paralympic Winter Games since 2002.

ⒸAnita Hector

By IPC

“We don’t know exactly what will be happening because there are a lot of very strong teams, but we would like to get at least third place in Nagano.”

Editor’s note: Every Wednesday in the lead-up to the 2013 IPC Ice Sledge Hockey A and B Pool World Championships this season, Paralympic.org will publish its Sledge Spotlight, allowing the public to meet the faces behind the helmets. Each week, we will feature one ice sledge hockey player, giving fans a chance to get to know them better.

The next two weeks are sure to test Estonia’s ice sledge hockey team before they head to the IPC Ice Sledge Hockey World Championships B-Pool in Nagano, Japan next month.

Estonia will face Great Britain in an exhibition series this weekend and then will travel to Solleftea, Sweden next week to compete in the Paralympic Winter World Cup tournament against Italy, Norway and Sweden.

Veteran Tarmo Eerma will be the team’s top defenseman again this season and he’s hoping to help his team bounce back after finishing in a disappointing eighth place at last year’s A Pool World Championships.

“This season is quite tough because we have fewer men on the team, compared to, for example, a Russian team who have a lot of man power,” Eerma said. “It’s very tough to compete this season.”

“We don’t know exactly what will be happening because there are a lot of very strong teams, but we would like to get at least third place in Nagano.”

The top three teams from Nagano will move on to the Paralympic Qualification Tournament. Then, the top two or three finishers there – the exact number depends on where Russia finishes at the Paralympic Games host nation – will advance to compete at Sochi 2014.

Eerma, along with a strong front line anchored by Kaido Kalm, will try to get Estonia’s team back to the Paralympics for the first time since 2002.

“Every year we are getting better and I think we’re a very good defensive team,” Eerma said. “First off, in Nagano, we need to beat Germany. Then, that will show us how good we are.”

Here’s a closer look at Tarmo Eerma …

Loves to play against: Japan. We don’t meet very often, and this is a very interesting matchup to me at this point in time.

Wears jersey number: 17

Pre-game meal: Eggs. They give me a lot of power. But really, it depends on the day. Sometimes the right meal is a banana and yogurt.

Post-game meal: Pasta because it’s easy to eat, and after eating pasta it’s easy to go to sleep.

Pre-game music preference: Rock music because it provides something for my soul. Metallica for example, who I always listened to growing up.

Most memorable game: Of course the 2009 World Championships B-Pool, where we won the gold medal. That meant I was worth something and improved my game, as did my team. This was very important to me.

Celebrates after a win by: I have a nice lunch with the team, as just talking and laughing with the team always makes for a happy day.