The 2022 NHL Global Series – Finland is underway.
Following a few days spent in Helsinki and adjusting to the time difference, both attendees in the Colorado Avalanche and Columbus Blue Jackets have arrived in Tampere, Finland where they will clash in a two-game set on Nov. 4 and 5 at Nokia Arena.
After taking a train from Helsinki to Tampere, the Avalanche hit the ice on Thursday afternoon at Nokia for an open-attendance practice where locals had the opportunity to watch the reigning Stanley Cup champions in person.
It was a humbling experience for Avalanche alike, especially the North American players – many of whom have never been to Finland – and a special moment for the teams’ Finns consisting of Mikko Rantanen, Arthur LehkonenJustus Annunen (who was recalled from the Colorado Eagles in case of emergency) and goaltending coach Jussi Parkkila.
See below for takeaways from the team’s time in Finland, first impressions and excitement on the eve of playing their first of two games against Columbus.
WHEN IN FINLAND
After arriving in Finland in the evening on Monday, the team hit the ice in Helsinki for an afternoon practice followed by a team-bonding session – and a staple in the Finnish culture – of partaking in a wooden sauna, followed by a dip in the Baltic Sea and returning into the warmth of the heated environment.
Lehkonen in particular, built up the hype around the sauna as he was a stalwart advocate for the activity that has become so common in Finland, apartments are now commonly available with individual saunas in every unit.
While his teammates all gathered in a group sauna, Lehkonen sang a song – he noted that it was a tradition from one of his close friends – in his native language while splashing water atop the roasting coals at a cadence.
“It was a competition of who could stay the longest,” Nathan MacKinnon said. “It felt like all of your skin was going to fall off. It was great. Some guys have saunas in their hotel rooms. I love it. I love to go do that. It’s been nice to go do that and [enjoy] the Finnish culture.”
The team also had a group dinner where they ate traditional Finnish cuisine of salmon soup and reindeer, both of which MacKinnon added that he was a big fan of.
BACK ON HOME SOIL
For Rantanen, (Piikkio), Mikko Rantanen (Nousiainen), Parkilla (Tampere), and Annunen (Kempele), it’s a, “once in a lifetime” opportunity to be able to play a regular season NHL game in their home country of Finland. , which currently boasts 36 active Finns playing in the NHL.
“It’s really cool to be back home,” Rantanen said. “We’re just waiting for this weekend to start. It’s obviously nice to have a few days in Helsinki, but now we’re here. We’re just going to enjoy the moment, but also remember that it’s four points that we’ re trying to grab here and [need] to get focused here.”
Parkilla and Columbus’ star forward Patrik Laine, both hail from the host city of Tampere. They can not only vouch for the “world’s best chicken wings” that the city and its resident’s strongly affirm, but of the emotions of returning back to their very hometown and at such a grand stage.
“It’s an amazing feeling,” Parkilla said. “I don’t deny that this is my home city. I was raised and born here. It’s emotional to be here.”
EXCITEMENT FOR THE FINNS
It’s not lost on any member of the Avalanche, what this unique experience means for the Finnish members of their organization; Rantanen, Lehkonen, Parkkila and Annunen and they’ve made it a point to stress the importance of showing their four Finns the utmost support and intending to display a strong performance in both contests against Columbus.
“[Rantanen and Lehkonen are] two important pieces of our team,” Avalanche Head Coach Jared Bednar said. “They’re super excited to be home. They have upwards of 30-50 people each coming to this game. I’m sure they want to play their best. In order for them to play their best, their teammates are going to have to play their best as well. It’s a team effort. Those guys have been great hosts for us so far. We want to go out and make sure we have a good game for them and in support of them to make sure that the Finnish fans are seeing our best performance.”
Also, as the reigning Stanley Cup champions, there’s added incentive to execute a strong performance in such a hockey-crazed market. And after a 1-2-0 showing during their Tri-State swing last week that has now placed them at a 4-2-1 record, the Avalanche are looking to make the most of these two games – and four potential points – against Columbus, who is 3-7-0 this season.
“[We want to] show everyone here what our team is made of,” Bednar continued. “Our success from last season is one thing, but I think we’re trying to carve out that same type of success here. That starts with tomorrow night trying to play our best.”
INSPIRING THE NEXT GENERATION
While Thursday was just a regular practice for the Avalanche, the stands were packed with eager attendees – many of whom were spirited youngsters – all ecstatic to watch these bonafide NHLers and 2021-22 Stanley Cup champions up close.
While Finland only has 36 active players in the NHL, it’s an impressive feat for the country which is slightly smaller than the state of Montana and home to a population of roughly 5.5 million people. Hockey is also ingrained in the country’s culture as they have their own top-tier professional hockey league called Liiga, which contains 15 teams, many of which include future NHLers.
So, for Finland to be able to host a marquee NHL event like the Global Series, it creates a lasting and meaningful impact on future generations of hockey players to come.
“It’s really big,” Parkkila said. “Everyone sees how many young kids were at the practice today. It’s really cool because it’s a once in a lifetime chance to see MacKinnon and Cale Makar or even Mikko and [Lehkonen] and Patrick Laine. [They don’t see] those guys not so often.”
MacKinnon, who grew up in Halifax, Nova Scotia – where the closest NHL teams were over 1,000 miles away between the Montreal Canadiens and Boston Bruins – he grasped the importance of what this kind of event can mean to the community and made it a point – along with many other of his Avalanche teammates – to stay after practice tossing pucks to fans and even giving away a prized stick or two.
“I’m from Nova Scotia and we didn’t have a [NHL] team,” MacKinnon said. “I can appreciate how these kids never got to see players because I didn’t either. They only see us on TV. So it’s amazing for us to come here live. As an eight, nine, 10-year-old that’s really, really cool.”
Tune in to Altitude or NHL Network on Friday night at 12 pm MT for the first of two games in the 2022 NHL Global Series – Finland as the Avalanche take on the Blue Jackets.