TAMPERE, Finland -- Finland President Alexander Stubb has hockey in his blood.
Like many in his country, Stubb grew up playing the sport. He also had a strong connection the NHL because his father, Goran Stubb, was Director of European Scouting for 40 years before retiring in 2023.
So, it was no surprise that one of the 56-year-old president's first stops after returning Saturday from a diplomatic trip to China was at Nokia Arena to watch the Florida Panthers play the Dallas Stars in the 2024 NHL Global Series Finland presented by Fastenal. A 4-2 Panthers win was the 11th NHL regular-season game played in Finland and fourth in Tampere, including Florida's 6-4 victory against Dallas on Friday and two during the 2022 NHL Global Series between the Colorado Avalanche and Columbus Blue Jackets.
"It means a lot," Stubb told NHL.com of the Global Series games in Finland. "It's a little bit like the Super Bowl in the NFL. It's always a big event. And then when you get two basically Finnish teams playing good ice hockey, it means a lot. It's a lot of fun.
"We are a hockey-crazy nation and, of course, to see our big stars playing here means a lot for all of us."
The Panthers have four players from Finland: captain Aleksander Barkov, center Anton Lundell, left wing Eetu Luostarinen and defenseman Niko Mikkola. The Stars have three: center Roope Hintz, and defensemen Miro Heiskanen and Esa Lindell.
Barkov has had the biggest spotlight on him because he is from Tampere and responded with four points (one goal, three assists) in Florida's victory Friday. To the delight of the sellout crowd of 12,786, Barkov helped set up Evan Rodrigues' deflection goal just 28 seconds into the game, scored on a 3-on-2 at 7:11 of the first period and assisted on goals by Sam Reinhart in the second and third.