Heiskanen and Hintz are aware of the NHL Global Series’ influence on the next generation.
They sat apart from one another. They had never met before. Heiskanen, 10, and Hintz, 12, were children, and the crowd was there for the first NHL regular-season game played in Finland. The Panthers won 4-3 thanks to a shootout winner from defenseman Ville Koistinen, who was born in Finland, in front of 12,056 fans.Heiskanen remarked, “That was pretty great to see.” “It was fantastic. I watched my first NHL game, and it was fantastic. I recall seeing Duncan Keith, Jonathan Toews, and Patrick Kane.There was a shootout. It was excellent.”
Heiskanen and Hintz will return to Finland for NHL games the following season, but this time they’ll be on the ice when the Stars take on the Panthers in the two games of the 2024 NHL Global Series presented by Fastenal, which will take place on November 1 and Nov. 2 at Nokia Arena in Tampere. They understand that one of the about 13,000 supporters could end up being the next Roope Hintz or Miro Heiskanen.
“I would say that’s one of the biggest things in these games, it’s for the kids, especially, when they get to come and see how it is, see the warmups and everything,” Hintz stated. “When you’re that young, everything is huge. Some children’s idols or favorite players may also be participating.”
When it was suggested that Hintz would now become an idol, he laughed.That’s probably accurate, but even at 27 years old and as a seasoned NHL center, it’s too much for him to comprehend.
“That’s precisely the situation,” Heiskanen remarked. “Everything is conceivable. Everything is achievable if you work hard and enjoy yourself while doing it. If you put in the effort and have fun, you will succeed as much as possible. Even though I was only ten years old and still had eight years to draft and all, I couldn’t help but think how amazing it would be if it were possible.”
On November 1, 2018, while attending the NHL Global Series game between the Panthers and Winnipeg Jets at Hartwall Arena, Florida forward Anton Lundell had the same impression.
“We went with my brother and my dad to watch the Panthers play in Finland, and then I got drafted by the Panthers [No. 12 in the 2020 NHL Draft], and now I’m playing with them, and now we’re going to go back to Finland with the Panthers,” Lundell stated. “It’s almost like a full circle.”
Sitting in the upper bowl, he watched his idol, current teammate Alexander Barkov, play in that game. His hometown is Tampere.
“To see him live and see how good he is with your own eyes, not only from the TV with highlights, it was fun,” remarked Lundell. Warmups, music, and the goal horn all give off an NHL vibe that permeates the entire experience. It’s amazing how much of the details you get to personally experience.”
Although he was coaching the Jets, who at the time included another Tampere native, forward Patrick Laine, Panthers coach Paul Maurice was also sitting on the bench for that game.On that trip, Maurice recalled, Barkov and Laine had been like rock stars, especially with the children.
“So the next Anton Lundell or the next Barkov is going to be in the stands, and they’ll remember that,” added Maurice. “That’s something they’ll always remember. They could remark, “I saw Barkov.” That is really awesome. Very cool. I really think that a countryman can instill that in children. Seeing an NHL game is one thing, but having a father tell you, “Look, that’s Aleksander Barkov, he’s from here,” is quite another. That is significant.
Lundell, Heiskanen, and Hintz are examples of this. “I’ve been one of those kids before, watching and trying to learn,” Hintz replied. “I’m pretty pumped to go play there.”