Patrik Laine has played NHL hockey in his home country before, as his Winnipeg team took part in a pair of games against Florida in Helsinki, Finland, in November 2018.
He made memories that last a lifetime during that trip, including a hat trick in front of the Finnish fans that he still counts as one of his best memories in the game.
Trip to Finland should be a highlight for Blue Jackets, Laine
NHL Global Series will send CBJ overseas for the first time in more than a decade
"Last time, it was probably top three in the games I've played in the NHL," Laine said Thursday after it was announced
the Blue Jackets will take part in the NHL Global Series next season
, playing two games in Finland in November against Colorado.
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"Now, especially going to my hometown, that is pretty cool. It's different here for the North American guys. They get to play in their hometowns usually, but for Europeans it's pretty rare that we get that opportunity. It's pretty sweet, and hopefully I'll be here to play in that game but it should be fun."
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There is the detail of Laine still needing to work out a contract for next year -- he's currently a restricted free agent at year's end, hence the word "hopefully" he used a few times yesterday -- but a return trip to Finland would have even more significance to Laine because the games will be held in his hometown of Tampere.
The city of around 250,000 residents with a metro area of closer to 400,000 -- it's the most populous inland city of the Nordic countries -- boasts the brand-new Nokia Arena as well as the scenery and culture that make Finland so unique.
Located between a pair of lakes, Näsijärvi and Pyhäjärvi, that are linked by the Tammerkoski rapids, Tampere is known for its water features and natural scenery. One of Laine's nicknames, the Tesoman tyyki -- the Tesoma cannon -- is because he hails from the area of Tesoma on the western end of the city.
"I think we have 250,000 people, and it's right between two lakes, so that's kind of nice," Laine said. "That's about it in a nutshell. Sounds great, doesn't it?"
All joking aside, though, it's a perfect match of team and country in a lot of ways. The Blue Jackets
have become one of the most popular teams in Finland
given the number of notable Finns who have been part of the organization over the years. General manager Jarmo Kekalainen became the NHL's first European-born GM when he was hired in 2013, and goaltender Joonas Korpisalo -- an unrestricted free agent-to-be -- has been a mainstay on the squad for the past seven seasons.
Finland, meanwhile, has become one of top hockey countries in the world over the past half century, and it's often said that the only countries in the world where it's the No. 1 sport are Canada and Finland. Sixty-one players from the country have skated in an NHL game this season, and 251 all-time have played NHL hockey. Finland also won the first Olympic gold medal in the country's history at February's Winter Olympiad in Beijing.
"Hockey is pretty much the one thing we're probably really good at," Laine said. "Obviously lately we've been getting more and more NHL guys. That's always been helpful, and all the success in the Worlds and the Olympics, it keeps growing. We're all about hockey, so it'll be great.
"Back in the day, when I was growing up, there wasn't nearly as many players as there is today. There's Finnish players on every team, and some teams have half the guys that are Finnish. But yeah, it's grown quite a bit, and honestly we've tried to do a good job of growing the game.
"A lot of guys have had success over here, which obviously helps, but yeah, I feel like people are following hockey more over there and getting to see games on TV and hopefully next year in person, so these are great opportunities for us and the fans over there to get to watch some hockey live."
While Laine will have the chance to show off his hometown, for many in the CBJ organization, it will be a first trip to Finland. It will also be the Jackets' first overseas game since starting the 2010-11 season by splitting a pair of games in Stockholm, Sweden.
"It comes with challenges, but it's a great opportunity, to go over there and grow the game and showcase it, but it means something," head coach Brad Larsen said. "It's the regular season, so it's even better. I don't look at it as a negative. I think you get your group together, you're out there, it's a neat experience. I'm looking forward to it. I think it'll be great."
While many of the North American-born players who play in the NHL often get the chance to play near or in their hometowns, it doesn't happen ever for those who come over from Europe. Laine said he's looking forward to the chance to relish that unique experience while sharing it with those he's close to as well as his entire team.
"It's a big opportunity for us and for all the players, and they are great hockey people over there," he said. "It's exciting for them as well. I have gotten to experience that once a couple of years ago playing over there, which was awesome for me. I can't speak on behalf of anyone else … but that will be a great opportunity for all of us."
