NHL Global Fan Tour provides 'incredible' experience for kids, families in Tampere

TAMPERE, Finland -- Light snow and frigid temperatures weren't enough to dampen spirits at the NHL Global Fan Tour at Keskustori (Tampere Central Square) on Friday.

The festival drew fans from the host country and abroad ahead of the first game of the 2024 NHL Global Series Finland presented by Fastenal between the Dallas Stars and Florida Panthers at Nokia Arena on Friday.

"So far it's been incredible," said Austin Lee, a Panthers fan who traveled from Loxahatchee, Florida, with his wife, Ashley. "We took the train up from Helsinki and we just got up to Tampere about an hour ago. We traveled through the snow and slush, and so far the experience has been so much fun for us. It's surreal."

The three-day Global Fan Tour, which began Thursday and is free to attend, includes outdoor and indoor activities. Outside, fans could test their skills at the Hardest Shot Station and Accuracy Shooting Challenge. There also are a host of interactive hockey-themed attractions inside a 1,200-meter heated tent, including bubble hockey, an EA SPORTS NHL booth and a "Kids Korner" for coloring pages featuring NHL mascots.

There also will be viewing parties during both games of the Global Series. But the biggest attraction was the Stanley Cup.

Fans waited in line to have their photos taken with it and take home a lifetime memory.

"I can say I thought that I would never see that," said Ismol Hirvonan, a 26-year-old Stars fan who drove two hours from his hometown of Lahti, Finland. "It's amazing."

Erol Hairedin also came to see the Stanely Cup on Friday before he'll be on the ice with players from Tappara's U-11 team -- the same youth program Panthers center Aleksander Barkov grew up playing for in Tampere -- prior to the second game of the Global Series on Saturday (Noon ET; Victory+, SCRIPPS, NHLN, SN1).

"It was fun to see," Hairedin said. "It's so big."

Barkov is one of four players from Finland who helped Florida win the Stanley Cup for the first time last season, along with Anton Lundell, Eetu Luostarinen and Niko Mikkola. The Lees are Panthers' season ticket holders, but they hadn't had the chance to see the Cup previously.

They were among the first on the Cup line when the Fan Tour opened at 4:30 p.m. locally.

"It was a unique experience to say we got to come to Finland to see it for the first time," Austin Lee said.

The Lees have tickets to both Global Series game and were looking forward to seeing Barkov, the first Finnish-born captain to win the Cup, play in his hometown.

"It's going to be emotional for him coming home to play in front of all his family and friends," Austin Lee said. "And then Lundell, Luostarinen and Mikkola will get to play in front of some of their family too, I would imagine. I'm excited. We got to feel the Stanley Cup atmosphere. Now, we get to feel a completely different atmosphere."