Both the Dallas Stars and the Florida Panthers have now established themselves in Finland ahead of the NHL Global Series 2024 doubleheader, presented by Fastenal, in Tampere this weekend.
Players, leaders and club employees have now had a couple of days to digest the impressions of our neighbor to the east. The players have spent the first days of their stay in the capital city of Helsinki and were able to explore the city on their own. However, the time to properly familiarize yourself with the Nordic culture is limited and the closer to Friday the teams get, the more the focus is on the work to be done in the rink.
NHL.com/sv met some of the players in the old market hall Vana Kaupahalli in Helsinki and asked how they would spend a completely non-game week in Finland.
Paul Maurice – Coach, Panthers
I’ve been here twice before and I really love how passionate the hockey crowd is here. Other than that, I love the food. If I had a free week here, I’d probably hang out in the neighborhoods around the harbor and explore places like this market hall. I would eat as much smoked fish as possible. Smuggle it home in my stomach.
Peter DeBoer – Coach, Stars
Helsinki is a very beautiful city, there is a lot to see and explore here. I would probably try to get as far north as possible. I have heard a lot about the special light in the north and nature. Just try to experience as much of the culture as possible.
Eetu Luostarinen – Forward, Panthers
If we were here for a whole week off, I hope the boys would take the opportunity to enjoy nature here. Otherwise, try typical Finnish things like sauna, eat traditional dishes and maybe walk around Helsinki and look in small local shops. For my own part, I would of course meet family and friends. It will be awesome to play NHL games here in Finland. The last time my parents saw me play in Finland was probably five years ago.
