The NHL just unveiled its next Global Series stop and fans in Finland will love it
Photo credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
Sebastian Aho is heading home, and Rod Brind'Amour just got one of the cleanest storylines on Carolina's 2026-27 schedule.
The NHL announced Monday that the Carolina Hurricanes and Seattle Kraken will play a pair of regular-season games in Helsinki, Finland. They're set for November 12 and November 14 at Veikkaus Arena.
That makes this more than a travel note on the calendar. It puts one of Carolina's biggest names back on home ice in front of a Finnish crowd that knows exactly who it came to see.
Aho, born in Rauma, is Carolina's current points and assists leader with 25 goals and 47 assists for 72 points in 70 games. That gives the event a real star hook right out of the gate.
Jesperi Kotkaniemi gives the Hurricanes another local tie, with the center coming out of Pori. For Carolina, this isn't just a neutral-site set. It's a road trip that should feel a little like a homecoming.
Seattle brings its own Finnish pull. Eeli Tolvanen was born in Vihti, and Kaapo Kakko adds another hometown connection from Turku.
There's also a nice wrinkle with Tolvanen. He played 74 games for Jokerit, the Helsinki club that used Veikkaus Arena as its home rink, so the building won't feel new to him.
Why this trip carries weight
For the Kraken, this will be the first regular-season action outside North America in franchise history. Carolina has done it before and already has Finland history after opening the 2010 season there with 2 wins over Minnesota.
The league is clearly leaning into Europe again. These Finland games raise the 2026-27 slate overseas to 4, with Ottawa and Chicago also scheduled to meet in Germany in December.
That matters because this isn't a one-off stunt. The NHL said 2026 will mark the 13th season, and fifth straight campaign, with regular-season games in Europe.
Helsinki also has real NHL event history. Of the 48 previous regular-season games played outside North America, 11 have been in Finland, and 7 of those were in Helsinki.
Veikkaus Arena has seen this show before too. The venue has hosted 7 previous NHL regular-season games, most recently during the 2018 Global Series between Florida and Winnipeg.
Now the Hurricanes and Kraken get the stage, and Aho sits at the center of it. For Carolina, that's a schedule drop with real juice. For the NHL, it's a clean bet on star power, national ties, and a building that already knows the sound of a big hockey night.
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