Every summer, a tennis tournament called the "Bermuda Cup" (Bermudan kannu) is played at Kalastajatorppa in Helsinki. Its traditions date back to the 1980s, and since then, current and former NHL players have come together to play the tournament. Initially, it was played as a singles tournament, but nowadays the format is doubles. The tournament is open to the public and free of charge, so anyone can come and watch.
This year, the Bermuda Cup was exceptionally played indoors at the Tali Tennis Center. This was the 45th edition of the tournament, meaning it has been played continuously since the 1980s. The Finnish summer is short and unpredictable, and due to heavy rain, the tournament was moved indoors this year, about 2.5 kilometers away from the original venue. A large group of current and former NHL players living near Helsinki took part.
Finnish NHL legends Jari Kurri and Teemu Selänne have been playing in the tournament for a long time. For instance, Jari Kurri made his debut back in 1983 and Teemu Selänne in 1989. Both have participated almost every summer. This year, however, Teemu Selänne could not play because he had undergone a knee replacement. Nevertheless, Selänne holds the record for the most tournament victories.
Teemu Selänne vowed to return to his winning ways next year. I got to meet this legend for the very first time.
Jarkko Ruutu played six matches in the opening round of the tournament. However, he and his partner did not advance.
Niklas Hagman now hosts Goal-Scoring & Body Checking courses for Finnish U12–U14 youth players. His competitive edge and battling skills also shine through on the tennis court.A few individuals stood out in the tournament played today. Among the active players, Teuvo Teräväinen and Mikael Granlund showed great tennis skills. Neither of them had a powerful serve like Valtteri Filppula (who clocked 99.4 mph), but they were crafty and reliable on the ball. They faced each other in the final, with both partnered by the Filppula brothers. Valtteri Filppula played alongside Teräväinen, while Ilari Filppula teamed up with Granlund. In the end, Ilari Filppula and Mikael Granlund won the final with clear numbers, writing their names into the history books.
Mikael Granlund was a crafty player and liked to charge the net. His reaction time was astonishingly fast.
Valtteri Filppula actively plays tennis every week. His older brother Ilari was also a phenomenal player, and both brothers were in incredibly good physical shape.
A true stylist on the tennis courts, Valtteri Filppula is the only player in the world to hold four coveted titles: the NHL's Stanley Cup, an Olympic gold medal, a World Championship, and the "Bermudan Kannu".In addition to those mentioned above, the tournament also featured NHL alumnis Ville Leino, Tuomo Ruutu, Sami Lepistö, and Leo Komarov. The players shared that they would be continuing the evening in the sauna.
Thank you for a great event!
