Here are the highlights from a Winih.com interview at the World Hockey Summit with Arto Sieppi, manager of women's hockey for Finland since 1998.

2014 Olympics in Sochi, Russia.Finnish Plans
We already changed our strategy and coaching philosophy geared up for Sochi. A new element is the addition of midget female teams. And we will be centralized for the last season. We also have many girls playing at US colleges. There are 12-14 Finnish women playing there and that is a good number for us plus several in the (semi pro) Russian league. We don’t want to cut their academic time to bring them back before 2013 and money wise, it is out of question. When we came back form Salt Lake Olympics, it was 2 girls at US colleges; in Turin it grew to 5-6 girls. It will be an issue before Sochi because we will have best players abroad.

US colleges have the best facilities, it is the best league in world for women. We are encouraging our girls to leave. We try to make sure that the US coaching staff is good for us. We can’t waste any players & we have had some bad experiences. Some players haven’t gotten any better.

2010 Olympic Bronze Medal
Our performance-the bronze medal in 2010 created momentum in our federation. The other factor which also created momentum was international relations. We centralized some of our Under 18 team, like USA Hockey does in Ann Arbour, Michigan on the men’s side. We have 5 of our players together in one school. Before Sochi we will have 75% of our Under 18 team playing in the same school. We had an assistant coach from USA Hockey working on that project with us. We also have close cooperation with Hockey Canada sending players over. In our four year strategy, starting 2011 we are sending players over plus coaching staff - 10 players to a Team Canada camp in 2012 and then their 12 best players will come to our training centre in Vierumaki, Finland so we will be seeing best on best. At that age it is very important.

That is why we have also started cooperating with Norway, they are sending their Under-18 team to our camps to get good games. They will face the best in Scandinavia.

We are already planning a 3 Nations Under 16 tournament in 2011, having Sweden and Finland under 16 and Norway Under 18 play together. I would like to see an Under 16 or Under 18 European Championshp started before there is an Under 16 World Championship. The time is not right yet for Under 16 World Championship. It is too early.

Canadian Women’s Hockey League
We don’t’ know enough about league but I would say if there is an opportunity for our players to go overseas to play there. We should know more. Parents don’t know enough. We need closer cooperation with both US college leagues, CWHL and Scandinavian countries. I would like to see the CWHL sit down and tell our parents what it is all about. Parents don’t have faintest idea. If a player goes overseas, the father is excited, his kid playing in the United States or Canada. But he is frustrated if they come back and don’t make the team. We shouldn’t’ send girls who are not ready.

Non North American Hockey Federations
We need people in charge and big leaders saying let’s go for it. Here is an example. I tell my federation people we need to centralize our Under-18 team. They said "no." I said, "what do you want? They said,” gold in Sochi.” I say, “If you want gold in Sochi you have to centralize the team. “

Changing Attitudes
How do you get other countries to set aside stereotypes and work with women’s hockey in their country?
You have to find the right people, head hunt the right people. There are not zillions of people saying yes lets do it, work on women's hockey. It is a tough task.

Marketing with Women's Hockey.
In Finland interest has increased. It was so important to get a bronze medal for us in Vancouver. Sponsors see 1 million watching our team vs Sweden. They see our country’s president wearing a Finnish jersey, you have to be stupid if you don’t’ see the market.

Finnish Ice Hockey President.
Is he supportive of the women's game? Yes he is, he was in locker room after gold medal game in Vancouver. With him was the president of the country. We had all of our players crying. We sneaked in our media which was a  big violation, to get beautiful shots which showed up on the front pages in our country. It was the president of our ice hockey federation and our country. They come frm different parties. It was a bridge builder…

Post Summit Changes
What effect did teh International Olympic president's words, women's hockey might be gone from the Olympics if it doesn't improve?
We would have done our job anyway. The rest of the world moved. The key is, it is August now, so before January 1, 2011. I would like to see 12 countries nominating a director of female hockey. I would like to see a plan. If we would see this at the women’s world championship in Switzerland in April 2011, that would be a great place to announce changes. Switzerland is easy to get European people can go, it is so close. They could release a plan for the International Ice Hockey Federation for Sochi… that would be a statement, outside of that, it is just talking.