Founded in 2017 by former NHL players Jussi Jokinen and Pekka Rinne, the NHL Charity All Stars event once again brought Finnish NHL stars to Oulu, this time led by Sebastian Aho.

Oulu, located in Northern Finland, is a major hockey city in the country. Its most famous active NHL players include Sebastian Aho, Niko Mikkola, Mikael Granlund, Justus Annunen, Ville Koivunen, Arttu Hyry, Aatu Räty, and Emil Pieniniemi. Ice hockey is by far the most popular sport in the region, and Oulun Kärpät is the city’s most well-known hockey club.

A new addition to this year’s NHL Charity All Stars program was an actual hockey game. In addition to the active players mentioned above, the event featured current and former stars such as Jani Hakanpää, Joonas Donskoi, Markus Nutivaara, Leo Komarov, and Pekka Rinne. In the charity game, NHL Charity All Stars -team faced the home team Oulun Kärpät. Proceeds from the event were directed to Oulu’s local children’s hospital and to Kärpät’s junior program to help lower participation fees.

Doors open and autographs for fans

Three hours before the puck drop, the arena doors were opened. Players spread out along the concourse and lines began to form in front of them. Everyone wanted autographs from the star players, and plenty of time was set aside for signing. By far the longest line snaked toward Sebastian Aho, as many wanted his autograph on a Carolina Hurricanes or Finnish national team jersey.

The day before the game, the Stanley Cup trophy visited Oulu with Niko Mikkola. Young patients at Oulu’s children’s hospital were able to see and touch the Cup. It also visited Mikkola’s old school and the local ice rink. The Stanley Cup then continued its journey to the next Finnish champions—Alexander Barkov, Eetu Luostarinen, and Anton Lundell.

The game begins

After the festivities and introductions, the game got underway in a sold-out arena. The format was three 15-minute periods, with a twist: penalties resulted in penalty shots instead of time in the box. Additionally, each period began with a penalty shot contest, and the winning team was awarded one goal on the scoreboard.

The visiting NHL stars started the game strong, with high speed and intensity—although no body checking was allowed. Sebastian Aho and Mikael Granlund found each other well, creating beautiful plays right from the start. On defense, Niko Mikkola and Jani Hakanpää shut down Kärpät’s offensive chances, while Pekka Rinne was stellar in goal.

As the game went on, Oulun Kärpät—preparing for the upcoming Liiga season—started to find their rhythm. However, they still couldn’t score, and replacement goalie Justus Annunen kept a clean sheet. In the penalty shot contests, Ville Koivunen and Niko Mikkola both scored, as did Joonas Donskoi, known throughout his career for his shootout skill and clutch goals.

The game ended in a 10–4 victory for NHL Charity All Stars. The crowd was treated to plenty of spectacular goals and high-paced hockey in the middle of Finland’s beautiful summer. The final goal came from none other than Sebastian Aho, who wristed the puck into the top corner.

Tomorrow, the NHL Charity All Stars event continues with a golf day. Thank you, Oulu! Thank you!