Great Friends Haula, Granlund Reunite in Nashville with Preds

Sometimes, great friends just know what the other is thinking without having to ask - like signing with the same NHL club.
Predators forward Mikael Granlund returned to Nashville by signing
a one-year, $3.75 million contract
with the team on Wednesday, and just moments later, the Preds made another announcement -
a one-year, $1.75 million deal for fellow Finnish forward Erik Haula
.
Former teammates in Minnesota, it would have made sense if the two got together with a plan to head to Nashville to reunite once more, but the surprise was even better.

"Everything just came together on Tuesday…and [Granlund] FaceTimed me and he was like, 'Yeah, I just signed in Nashville,' and I was like, 'Yeah, I think I am too!' And he was like, 'Oh! Awesome!'" Haula said. "It was a funny coincidence. It wasn't like we both had the offers on the table and called each other like, 'Hey, let's go there together.' It was kind of coincidental honestly."

Coincidence or not, Haula is thrilled to be reunited with his friend at the NHL level.
The two are close - they met while they were teenagers playing for the Finnish national program, and they both established themselves as NHLers together with the Wild between 2012 and 2014. The forwards played together in Minnesota for a total of four seasons - the first two spent living in the same building - and in July of 2019, Granlund served as a groomsman when Haula tied the knot.
"Our wedding was in Vegas, and he flew in; I think he landed Thursday night and left Sunday morning, so I think it speaks for his commitment," Haula said of Granlund with a laugh. "I was very grateful that he was able to make it. We had a good time, and then it was time to head home.

"It's kind of crazy to think back [after meeting in Finland and now playing in the NHL together]. It's awesome we were able to really build a friendship when we were with the Wild. We just became really good friends, and now we're together again."
The friendship is a bonus, but Haula is also pleased to join a Predators team that will certainly appreciate the skill of another forward. And, like all of us, he's just ready to get going once more.
"I am super excited," Haula said. "It's a fantastic place to play and live. The team is really good, and they've got some really good core pieces. I'm just hoping to come in and add to that, and ultimately win."