The Carolina Hurricanes are headed to Finland with a mix of jet lag, anticipation and a pretty unusual kind of road trip on their hands.
Seattle is usually the opponent that sends them on a long haul away from Lenovo Center, but this one is different. The Canes are flying to Helsinki for the 2026 NHL Global Series, where they’ll face the Kraken on Nov. 12 and 14 after an eight-to-10-hour trip and a seven-hour time difference for the Carolina side. That means a quick reset of sleep schedules and routines, with players and staff trying to get their bodies pointed in the right direction almost immediately.
Nikolaj Ehlers knows the drill. He was part of the 2018 Global Series with Winnipeg, and he laid out just how strange the adjustment can feel.
“For me, the flight to Europe is tough because ultimately you’d have to go to bed as soon as you step on that plane, and then only sleep for two, three hours, and then get up. But I think if you can somehow get a couple hours of sleep at some point, then it’s just a matter of staying awake until 9, 10, 11 p.m. the next day, and you know, work it from there,” said Nikolaj Ehlers, who played in the 2018 edition of the Global Series with Winnipeg.
Even with the travel grind, Ehlers still remembers the experience fondly.
“A lot of fun,” recalled the Danish forward of his experience eight years ago. “Obviously, I’m from Europe, so being able to go to Europe and play some hockey is always a fun experience.
Hopefully, one day it’ll be in Denmark. But it gets the team on a fun road trip kind of thing where we get to hang out a lot and experience some new things together as a team, and play some fun games.
So it was a lot of fun.”
Logan Stankoven had his own Global Series trip in 2024 with Dallas, and his memories of Helsinki are tied to the kind of weather you don’t forget.
“very dark and cold”
Still, he came away impressed.
“I think it was a great experience,” he said. “I think it’s great for the fans, great for the country.
It’s always nice to see different places. I thought Helsinki was a pretty cool city, right on the water there.
Good people, good food, so I enjoyed it.”
For some players, this is a chance to see a new place. For Sebastian Aho, Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Juuso Välimäki, it’s something much bigger: a trip home.
Aho has been waiting for this one for years, and he made that clear when the Canes were announced for the event in March.
“Very excited. Happy.
I’ve been dreaming about it for 10 years,” Aho said in March, when the Canes were announced as a participant in this year’s event. “When they announce the teams [for these games], you usually don’t see Carolina there, and you’re always like, ‘Bummer.’
But [this is] worth the wait.”
Aho arrives in Finland with a résumé that already puts him among the top Finnish players in NHL history. He ranks fifth among Finns in all-time NHL goals with 320 and seventh in points with 737. He also wore an assistant captain’s role for Finland’s bronze-medal run at the 2026 Olympic Winter Games, then brought the Stanley Cup back to his homeland months later for another celebration.
That kind of journey is part of why his teammates are looking forward to seeing him take center stage in front of his home crowd.
“That’s the part that you get excited about,” said Head Coach Rod Brind’Amour.“ I mean, this is a chance for, you know, Fishy in particular [to receive recognition].
He’s been such a great Hurricane, and [it’s a] chance for him to kind of showcase his importance to us, and [give] a little payback for his supporters back home. So, I’m looking forward to that kind of reaction for him because he deserves it.”
Taylor Hall echoed the sentiment.
“To have a superstar Finnish player on our team and to go over there and play in Finland is something very special, and we’re all very happy for him that we have this chance,” echoed Taylor Hall.
Aho also has a lighter assignment waiting for him: “Tour Guide Fishy.” He’s already got plans to show his teammates around and give them a taste of home.
“I’ve got a few things planned for the boys to just kind of show our culture a little bit,” Aho told NHL.com. “Obviously, there’s not like big surprises.
Everyone knows kind of what it’s about, but I think it’s awesome. I think we’re going to have a lot of fun.”
The Hurricanes are sending 24 players, and 17 of them are from North America, so plenty of the room will be experiencing Finland for the first time. Some will be out exploring, others will keep a lower profile, but the trip has room for both.
Hall is already looking forward to the off-ice side of it.
“Once you step off the plane in Europe, [the realization is] immediate that you’re in a different country. I’m sure that’s kind of how they feel 24/7 when they’re here,” said Hall.
“It’s just a different vibe, and I love going to Europe. I love trying the food, the different restaurants.
Obviously, saunas and all that, I’m excited for. And then the games are going to be awesome.”
Still, this isn’t just a sightseeing trip. There are four points on the line, and the Canes know the business side of the week has to stay front and center. They’ve built their identity around playing like a machine, and that leaves little room for a flat night, even in a setting like this.
Brind’Amour said the team will make room for both sides of the experience.
“I love seeing other cultures, and especially where some of our guys are from, so taking that opportunity is really cool. And then obviously, you know, we want to play well, and that’s why we’re going there.
It’s business,” said Brind’Amour. “But we do have some time in there to hopefully take in what’s over there, and that’s what I’m looking forward to.”
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