Located above the Arctic Circle in Finnish Lapland lies Inari, the largest municipality in Finland. Situated in the northernmost corner of the European Union at the heart of the North Calotte, Inari covers 5 percent of Finland's total land area. It is here that ice hockey is played in the country's northernmost indoor rink. The local team, Tunturi-Kiekko, also holds the title of the northernmost ice hockey club in Finland.

Currently, the Finnish national team is competing in the Milan Olympics. Several team members, such as Sebastian Aho and Mikael Granlund, hail from Oulu in Northern Finland. While Oulu is considered "North" from a Helsinki perspective, it is still over 500 kilometers away from Inari. Lapland is accessible by direct flight or by car. If driving, please be extra cautious of reindeer, as they roam and graze freely across the area.

Finland’s northernmost ice hockey rink is located in Inari. There are approximately 250 indoor rinks across the country, distributed fairly evenly throughout Finland. The majority of these rinks were built in the 1990s. Like the one in Inari, most Finnish rinks are municipally owned. Typically, the lifecycle of a rink is about 30 years for its technical systems and 50 years for its structures. This means that many Finnish ice rinks will soon be in need of renovation.

Currently, we are celebrating the school winter holidays here in Finland. This week is dedicated to various winter sports; you can go skiing or play hockey just about anywhere in the country right now. It has been a strong winter, with a steady blanket of snow even in Helsinki. However, my family and I decided to travel here to Lapland. The environment here is unlike anywhere else—it is dark, cold, and incredibly beautiful.

Today, many international tourists have discovered the region, arriving to see Santa Claus, reindeer, and the Northern Lights. You can spot all of them here almost every day! When the sun set today around 5:00 PM, I hopped in the car and drove to the northernmost rink to see what it was like. On the ice, the Tunturi-Kiekko juniors were practicing—both girls and boys skating together. Because Inari is such a small community, both genders play on the same team.

Distances in Lapland are vast. Tunturi-Kiekko players are used to traveling long distances even for practice. I heard stories of players commuting all the way from Kirkenes, Norway, which is another 200 kilometers north of Inari. Kirkenes has an active hockey scene of its own, despite lacking an indoor rink. Players in the North often play across the borders of Finland, Norway, and Russia. Even here, hockey serves as a unifying force.

Many young people eventually move from Inari and elsewhere in Lapland to Southern Finland. For those serious about studies or professional hockey, Oulu and Rovaniemi are the nearest major hubs. To date, Jesse Puljujärvi is the only Finnish NHL player born in Lapland. Alongside Puljujärvi, defenders Ville Pokka and Vili Saarijärvi are the most recent NHL draft picks from the region. While active stars like Aho and Granlund are from Northern Finland, they are not technically from Lapland.

On the women's side, Iida and Emma Lappalainen play in Finland’s top-tier league. Both are products of the Tunturi-Kiekko youth system. In addition to the junior teams, Tunturi-Kiekko’s men's representative team competes in the Lapland regional 3rd Division. They have a crucial game this coming Saturday, which will determine whether the team makes the playoffs this year. The club was also recently nominated for the 'Sports Club of the Year' category at the Finnish Sports Gala.

In addition to the indoor arena, there are many outdoor rinks nearby, equipped with lights and warm changing rooms. Though there weren't enough players for a full game this evening, outdoor rinks can be found in almost every Finnish village, usually near schools for use during physical education classes.

Being north of the Arctic Circle means the Northern Lights are a part of daily life. During mid-winter, clear skies almost guarantee a display. We have already seen them two nights in a row. It’s safe to say that a great deal of hockey has been played under the glow of the Aurora Borealis. If a three-period game started at 9:00 PM, the lights might dance above the ice for the entire match.

As my evening in Inari drew to a close, I stopped by a local sports bar for pizza. Since there are more reindeer than people in Lapland, I chose reindeer as my topping, paired with lingonberries, blue cheese, and pickles. Tomorrow, Finland plays in Milan again, and even here in the far north, people will gather to cheer them on.

Only a Finnish goal can break this silence.