The Seattle Kraken’s first trip to the NHL Global Series comes with a built-in homecoming feel.
Seattle is in Helsinki, Finland, where it will play its next two games against the Carolina Hurricanes, and several players on the roster have a personal stake in the moment because Finland is home.
Kaapo Kakko is one of the clearest examples. The forward began his career with the New York Rangers before arriving in Seattle in Dec. 2024, when the Kraken traded Will Borgen to New York.
Now he is back in his home country for his first NHL games outside North America, and he has already said he had a chance to see family and friends. The stands should have plenty of support for him.
Jani Nyman is getting his own chance to make an impression in familiar surroundings. The Kraken recently called him up from their American Hockey League affiliate, the Coachella Valley Firebirds, where he has 12 points in 12 games. He has appeared in only three games for Seattle this season and has seen limited ice time, but the Finland trip gives him another stage to show the coaching staff he belongs in the NHL full-time, with family and friends watching.
Ville Ottavinen is the lone Finnish-born defenseman on the trip. He has played in 10 games for the Kraken this season and scored his first NHL goal on Oct. 13 against the Philadelphia Flyers. Offense is not his calling card, but being back home might give him a little extra push.
The Kraken also recalled goaltender Nikke Kokko from the Firebirds for travel as they prepared for Finland. With injuries already affecting the roster, Seattle could not afford to lose another player while overseas.
Kokko’s ice time is uncertain, since Philipp Grubauer and Joey Daccord are both healthy, but the possibility remains that the Finnish-born goalie could at least get a period in net. The Kraken will find out over the two games on Thursday and Saturday.
In Other News...
Kraken Global Showcase Turns Frustrating For Seattle In All The Wrong Ways
The Krakens trip to Helsinki was supposed to feel like a showcase moment, with Seattle getting the rare chance to play a home game overseas as part of the NHL Global Series. Instead, the night belonged to Carolina, which skated away with a 4-1 win in front of a crowd that had plenty to cheer about beyond the scoreboard. NHL commissioner Gary Bettman framed the event as part of the leagues push to connect with European fans, and on this night the atmosphere fit that mission even if the result did not favor Seattle.
For the Kraken, the frustration went beyond the final score. Coach Lane Lambert said afterward that the team had a plan but did not stick to it, a familiar kind of postgame concern when execution slips in a showcase setting. What made the loss sting a little more was the way Carolinas scoring played out, with Finnish players accounting for three of the goals and giving the local crowd even more reason to stay engaged while Seattle searched for answers. [Read more 🡒]