In NHL.com's Q&A feature called "Sitting Down with …" we talk to figures in the game, gaining insight into their lives on and off the ice. In this edition, we feature Florida Panthers forward Anton Lundell.
NEW YORK -- Anton Lundell has had the best five months of his professional hockey career, and it's not finished yet.
The Florida Panthers forward won the Stanley Cup with a 2-1 victory against the Edmonton Oilers in Game 7 at home on June 24.
The win gave Florida its first championship and kicked off a party that lasted the entire offseason.
Lundell had his day with the Cup during the summer and also hung out with the other Finland-born players on the Florida roster, including Aleksander Barkov, Eetu Luostarinen and Niko Mikkola, during their days with the trophy.
Now the Panthers are on their way to Finland to play the Dallas Stars in the 2024 Global Series Finland presented by Fastenal.
Florida (7-3-1) arrives in Helsinki on Tuesday and plays Dallas (7-2-1) at Nokia Arena in Tampere on Friday (2 p.m. ET; Victory+, SCRIPPS, NHLN, SN), and Saturday (Noon ET; Victory+, SCRIPPS, NHLN, SN1).
"It's been quite busy, a busy summer," Lundell said with a laugh, sitting in the dressing room at the Madison Square Garden during the morning skate before the Panthers' 3-1 win against the New York Rangers on Thursday.
Now he is preparing for a homecoming.
His hometown of Espoo is a suburb of Helsinki. Tampere is about a two-hour drive away.
It will be the first time Lundell will play an NHL game in Finland.
NHL.com talked to the 23-year-old about going home, past NHL games in Finland and sharing this trip with his Finnish teammates.
How special for you is this trip to Finland for the Global Series?
"It's very exciting. I am looking forward to it and it's going to be a very special week. First, to play in the NHL, it was a big dream come true. And then to be able to go home to play a couple of games and to be able to play in front of all my friends and family, pretty much everyone I know."
Everyone you know? That has to be some ticket request.
Too many. The requests just keep coming. Every second day somebody is asking for me. It's tough; it's sold out. They don't have any more.
So will you be close to home while the team is in Helsinki?
Espoo, it's next to it, but Helsinki is basically my hometown. I played there, went to my school there. Lived there during the summer. Going to Helsinki is going home for me.
You played there, as you mentioned, playing for HIFK, much like your dad, Jan, did and your younger brother, Kasper, does now. It's like the family business, no?
"It runs through the blood. It's such a pleasure to be able to follow my dad's footsteps and wear that jersey as well. That was all I saw growing up. That was my dream, to be able to play for HIFK. To be able to play [in the NHL] was something else, a bigger dream. My brother plays there now, so that's pretty cool."
Is he as good as you?
I get asked that a lot. He's very skilled and a very good player. He's got everything in him and I'm excited to follow his career for sure."
So how come you don't play goalie like your dad?
"It just wasn't for me. I tried when I was young. It was only a couple of times. I told my dad it's not as fun. I wanted to feel the speed, make some plays and score some goals. It wasn't for me to stand in the net."
Will you see your family while you are home?
"Yeah, I will have a little time to go home and say hi to everyone. We are a bit tight for time but we are going to take the guys somewhere and I will get to eat my favorite meals. For me, my favorite is a very Finnish meal, salmon soup. I want to have the guys try it. See if we can get them to try reindeer too."
Barkov also is going home to Finland. He is from Tampere and gets to go to his hometown to play. He is such a big deal in Finland and such a part of the Panthers. What's it like to share this experience with him?
"We're lucky to have four Finns and it's going be very special for all of us. But to be able to play in Tampere, which is Barky's hometown, it's going to be awesome to see. He grew up there, he played there and he is one of the biggest idols for young players who want to become hockey players. They are looking up to him. I was one of them growing up so, it's going to be pretty special."
He played here before with the Panthers, in Helsinki in 2018, against the Winnipeg Jets at Hartwall Arena. Did you see those games?
"I was at the first game between [Patrik] Laine and Barkov in Helsinki. The Panthers had two Finns and the Jets had just Laine. Laine scored a hat trick. He was like three years older than me. I didn't really know them, but I was always looking at their highlights, always trying to learn, to be able to see what they did, in warmups, during the game. It was just such a cool moment. For me, it brought me a lot of energy, a lot of motivation to become one of them and play in the NHL. I think that is what maybe we are most excited about. For me it is going to be a big week, but for every Finnish fan, especially the young boys and girls, will remember that for a long time."
Did that moment at Hartwall Arena make your dream seem real?
"That was my only NHL game I saw live before I played my Game 1 in NHL. I never saw an NHL game in North America or Canada. I saw one NHL game in Helsinki before I played my first NHL game. I watched others on TV, but it's different."
Are you ready to top Laine's hat trick?
"I'll be ready and try to do everything as good as I can, but we want to get some wins for sure."
A hat trick?
"We'll see. There are a lot of Finns from both teams. Let's hope one from this locker room gets the hat trick."
Do you have favorite places you like to hang out in Helsinki? Places you want to go when you are here this week?
"There are a lot of cool spots in Helsinki. Aside from my house, it's the arena I grew up in, Helsinki Arena where HIFK plays. It's my second home. I watched dad play there. I was at almost every home game. Was able to play there myself. I think I have had more time there than at school or home for sure."
