Finnish Frenzy: What It Was Like to Watch the Florida Panthers Play in Finland

South Florida's typical "Go Fins" mantra had an extra N added this past weekend. And rather than applying to the always-depressing Miami Dolphins, it applied to our beloved Florida Panthers.

Go Finns!

The Florida Panthers wrapped a two-game stint against the Western Conference heavyweights Dallas Stars at Nokia Arena in Tampere, Finland, on November 1 and 2. The games were part of the 2024 NHL Global Series, including other teams facing off in Munich and Prague.

Aside from two big-time wins from the Panthers, the real winner was Tampere. Finland is already the happiest country in the world, and Tampere (pronounced tahm-puh-ray) may very well be its happiest and most amiable city. After venturing to Helsinki and then Rovaniemi to chase the Northern Lights for a week, Tampere might have been the personal favorite, hockey aside.
On game day, strolling around Finland's third largest city, located about a two-hour train ride northwest of the capital of Helsinki, there was an undeniable buzz from locals — of course, in the most Finnish way possible. Compared to our loud, horn-blaring, generally insane South Florida ways, the Finns are polite, out-of-their-way kind, and direct. Often, this directness gets mistaken for being standoff-ish, but engrain yourself in Tampere for a day, and you'll understand the warmth.

Speaking of warmth, it was absolutely not warm in Finland. On Friday, November 1, during the first game, the city experienced its first snowfall of the season, with massive yet soft snowflakes the size of a quarter falling throughout town. Any unprepared South Floridian making the overseas trek looked frigid beyond belief as they scurried through the red-brick landscapes of Tampere while the snow accumulated. Still, the snowfall added to the charm and uniqueness of the moment.
Fans slid about and parked it at the NHL's Global Fan Tour setup in Tampere Central Square. The Stanley Cup was displayed amid interactive fan competitions for the hardest shot, accuracy shooting, and more. Just outside the experience, along the town's high street lined with shops and restaurants, strung lights flashed the Panthers and Stars logos. Inside the Finnish Hockey Hall of Fame, a display dedicated to Tampere hometown heroes, Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov and Stars alternate captain Roope Hintz stood front and center.

Beyond the visible NHL fanfare, there was much to dabble in within Tampere's limits. At its center is the dense, ridge-filled, red-berry-bush-dotted Pyynikki Park, with an observation tower looking out to Näsijärvi and Pyhäjärvi lakes looming in the distance. There's Tampere Market Hall, the largest indoor market in the Nordic countries dating back to 1901, with cinnamon buns and uniquely local salty licorice to nosh on.
Tampere is also regarded as the sauna capital of the world, with more than 50 public saunas. It was a common sight come game day to see locals and fans alike packed into lakeside saunas. It's also an experience to see folks emerge from the saunas and make a beeline into the nearest lake for a cold plunge. And, from there, repeat again and again.

Speaking of saunas, the entire Panthers team donned blue, logoed bath robes into Nokia Arena on Friday evening, with a few players carrying sauna buckets and ladles. The Finnish players were on full display and received the loudest roars from fans in the 13,000-seat arena. Barkov, Anton Lundell, Eetu Luostarinen, and Niko Mikkola — all Finns — were in the starting lineup for the Panthers. And boy, did the Finns show up, with Lundell scoring a goal, Mikkola tallying an assist, and hometown hero Barkov recording a goal and three assists. The Panthers won 6-4.
It was an appropriate ending to an otherwise non-American — in every way possible — NHL game. Alcohol wasn't allowed in the arena, so fans queued well before the intermissions for Finnish long drinks (a delightful gin-meets-grapefruit concoction), among other booze and bits. Overall, things remained relatively quiet in the arena and during the hockey action, minus the sporadic "Let's go Panthers!" cheers from the crowd, polka-ish tunes that played when the action on the ice stopped, and, of course, all ten goals scored.

Tampere and Finland charmed on every possible level. Whether there's a global hockey spectacle in town or not, it's easy to see why it's the happiest place on Earth.