{ "blocks": [ { "type": "video", "data": { "url": "https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/video-migration/xlkFOfrz.mp4", "streached": true, "controls": true, "caption": "Florida Panthers hold full team practice at Baptist Health IceDen on March 11.", "image": { "url": "https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/video-migration/xlkFOfrz-poster.jpg" }, "cdn": { "service": "jwplayer", "playlistUrl": "https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/xlkFOfrz.m3u8", "sources": [ { "file": "https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/xlkFOfrz.m3u8", "type": "application/vnd.apple.mpegurl" }, { "file": "https://cdn.jwplayer.com/videos/xlkFOfrz-6LgJnXEq.mp4", "type": "video/mp4", "height": 180, "width": 320, "label": "180p", "bitrate": 502170, "filesize": 21467769, "framerate": 30 }, { "file": "https://cdn.jwplayer.com/videos/xlkFOfrz-1QJ1dkot.mp4", "type": "video/mp4", "height": 270, "width": 480, "label": "270p", "bitrate": 703244, "filesize": 30063695, "framerate": 30 }, { "file": "https://cdn.jwplayer.com/videos/xlkFOfrz-h6aVm5rK.mp4", "type": "video/mp4", "height": 720, "width": 1280, "label": "720p", "bitrate": 2225028, "filesize": 95119976, "framerate": 30 }, { "file": "https://cdn.jwplayer.com/videos/xlkFOfrz-UQSYMDp9.m4a", "type": "audio/mp4", "label": "AAC Audio", "bitrate": 113454, "filesize": 4850162 }, { "file": "https://cdn.jwplayer.com/videos/xlkFOfrz-vnHaI3dA.mp4", "type": "video/mp4", "height": 1080, "width": 1920, "label": "1080p", "bitrate": 4601315, "filesize": 196706226, "framerate": 30 }, { "file": "https://cdn.jwplayer.com/videos/xlkFOfrz-yFReK32n.mp4", "type": "video/mp4", "height": 360, "width": 640, "label": "360p", "bitrate": 876870, "filesize": 37486233, "framerate": 30 }, { "file": "https://cdn.jwplayer.com/videos/xlkFOfrz-0LealTTd.mp4", "type": "video/mp4", "height": 540, "width": 960, "label": "540p", "bitrate": 1475155, "filesize": 63062888, "framerate": 30 } ] } } }, { "type": "paragraph", "data": { "text": "On Tuesday, the NHL revealed the details for the 2024 NHL Global Series, which will see the Florida Panthers and Dallas Stars play a pair of regular season games in Tampere, Finland. " } }, { "type": "paragraph", "data": { "text": "The games will take place on Nov. 1 and Nov. 2 at Nokia Arena, home of Tappara, the local Liiga hockey club partially owned by former player and current Panthers captain Sasha Barkov. " } }, { "type": "paragraph", "data": { "text": "The news broke about a month ago, but it wasn't officially announced by the NHL until Tuesday. " } }, { "type": "paragraph", "data": { "text": "Currently, the Panthers and Stars each have four Finnish players on their respective active rosters. " } }, { "type": "image", "data": { "file": { "url": "https://thehockeynews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MjAwNjE3OTM2NjIzMjQ4NDky/img_6014.jpg" }, "caption": "" } }, { "type": "paragraph", "data": { "text": "For Florida, the list features Barkov, Anton Lundell, Eetu Luostarinen and Niko Mikkola. " } }, { "type": "paragraph", "data": { "text": "Now that the league has made it official, the three Finnish forwards were asked about the trip and what it will mean to them and to the hockey-crazed fans in their homeland. " } }, { "type": "paragraph", "data": { "text": "Here is what they had to say:" } }, { "type": "paragraph", "data": { "text": "Sasha Barlov: \"It's more than a dream come true, for sure. Even going to Finland (in 2018) was huge, but then going to my hometown and that's where I saw my first NHL team, which was Florida Panthers. I think it was 2009, they came to play against my team, exhibition game, and I know Kuli (Dmitry Kulikov) was on the team, so I was watching that game and he was he was incredible. I never even thought about a chance to play in my hometown with an NHL team, but now it's gonna be a reality in November, so I'm really, really excited.\"" } }, { "type": "paragraph", "data": { "text": "(on what the NHL going to Tampere, Finland means for the growth of the sport) \"I think it's huge. Finland is a good spot to go because there's a lot of NHL fans already. They broadcast NHL really well on a lot of different channels, and social media is all over the NHL and stuff like that. So people follow the NHL and I don't think it's gonna grow any more than what it is right now, but obviously…It's great to see, especially in my hometown, for the for the young players, for the kids and whoever hasn't seen the NHL game live yet, it's a much easier way to go to an NHL game.\"" } }, { "type": "paragraph", "data": { "text": "(what it means for he and his Finnish teammates) \"It's gonna be great. Dallas, too, they have a lot of Finnish players. So yeah, it's gonna be fun.\"" } }, { "type": "paragraph", "data": { "text": "(playing at Nokia Arena) \"It's actually new rink. I grew up in another one (Tampere Ice Stadium), but still it doesn't matter. It's still in the same town and that's where they play right now and it's twice as big as the old one, so it holds a lot more people. It's good for the city, it's a big hockey town. Two great teams playing there, it's gonna be awesome.\"" } }, { "type": "paragraph", "data": { "text": "Eetu Luostarinen: \"It's pretty cool. It's gonna be special for sure, and we were really excited when we heard the news.\"" } }, { "type": "paragraph", "data": { "text": "(how familiar are you with Tampere) \"When I played in Finland, I used to play there (Tampere). Now they have a new arena out there too. It's going to be real nice.\"" } }, { "type": "paragraph", "data": { "text": "(what does it mean to play an NHL game in Finland) \"I think that's a really cool thing, to bring over the best hockey we've got to Finland. That's gonna be really nice.\"" } }, { "type": "paragraph", "data": { "text": "(how excited are you to bring your teammates to Finland) \"There's probably going to be a lot of things the guys like and don't like. I'm sure Barky is gonna figure something out for the boys.\"" } }, { "type": "paragraph", "data": { "text": "(how cool is it that you have several Finnish teammates all going home to play an NHL game) \"It's nice for our families and our friends to see us play. It's not like they can see NHL games every day.\" " } }, { "type": "paragraph", "data": { "text": "Anton Lundell: \"It feels pretty unreal. It's something I never thought was going to happen and to be able to make the NHL and play with my team in Finland, where I grew up, is pretty special for sure.\"" } }, { "type": "paragraph", "data": { "text": "(on Florida and Dallas each having several Finnish players) \"I just know it's going to be an awesome week for the players, but also for the fans in Finland. And all the young boys and girls who grow up playing, they're going to get so much out of it. I remember myself, I was watching the last time the Panthers and Winnipeg Jets played in Finland. I got a lot myself from it, so I just know it's going to be a special week for the whole (country of) Finland and the players as well.\"" } }, { "type": "paragraph", "data": { "text": "(what it will mean for young fans in Finland to see NHL hockey up close) \"It's gonna give a lot more energy, motivation, just to see the best players in the world coming so close to you, and you're able to see them live, I'm sure it's gonna give so much more energy and just happiness to keep going and play hockey as well.\"" } }, { "type": "paragraph", "data": { "text": "(on going from watching Barkov and the Panthers in 2018 to now playing with them as they return to Finland) \"It's pretty crazy, to be honest. Back then I was dreaming about playing in the NHL one day, and here I am, talking to you guys and I'm playing here. It's something you just dream of, it's not anything you plan, but it just shows if you work hard and believe in your dreams, everything is possible, and that's something to keep in mind.\"" } }, { "type": "paragraph", "data": { "text": "(are you looking forward to bringing your teammates to your homeland) \"I'm very excited. It's gonna be fun. It's not the best time of the year to take people to Finland, it's going to be a little rainy and dark most likely, but it's gonna be a special.\"" } }, { "type": "paragraph", "data": { "text": "Panthers Head Coach Paul Maurice: " } }, { "type": "paragraph", "data": { "text": "\"Last time (in 2018 with Winnipeg), what's interesting is I did a coaches clinic there and Tuomo Ruutu was there, and he's now on the (Panthers) coaching staff, so it's just interesting how it all comes together. These are great events, for sure. The best idea though is you have four Finns, and who knows, we may have five or six by the time we get to Finland next year, they get to kind of show off their home. I'm looking forward to it with this group of guys because they have so much fun together and they're so much fun to be around and they like each other, they're just gonna move as a big pack of hockey players around Finland, so it'll be fun. This does get to be sometimes a routine, right? You know what you're going to be doing in an NHL schedule six months to now, to the hour, where you're going to be on any given day. So when you get a little bit of a break in the routine, it's great. It's special. And then those connections that you make in that environment are different than the normal everyday connections. It'll be good for our team." } }, { "type": "paragraph", "data": { "text": "(on the importance of bringing NHL hockey to places like Finland) \"It's such a big deal. As much as I'm going to offend everybody I'm talking to right now, it's not the same on TV. It is different. NHL hockey is different live. It's incredibly fast. So they get a chance to see two really good teams who are gonna go over, both these teams are going to be very strong next year again, and they're gonna get to see hockey played at a very high level. It's inspiring, right? There's a future Dallas Star or Florida Panther in the stands that doesn't know it yet. Those are great memories.\"" } }, { "type": "paragraph", "data": { "text": "LATEST STORIES FROM THE HOCKEY NEWS - FLORIDA" } }, { "type": "paragraph", "data": { "text": "Kyle Okposo praised for making 'smart plays' during Florida Panthers debut" } }, { "type": "paragraph", "data": { "text": "Three takeaways: Comeback fueled by power play, Panthers finding their game" } }, { "type": "paragraph", "data": { "text": "Panthers erase 3-goal deficit in Dallas, earn resounding comeback win" } }, { "type": "paragraph", "data": { "text": "Dates set for Florida Panthers to visit Finland for 2024 NHL Global Series" } }, { "type": "paragraph", "data": { "text": "Panthers begin road trip in Dallas with matchup of division leaders" } }, { "type": "image", "data": { "file": { "url": "https://thehockeynews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MjAxNjQxMjA5NjI4NzMxMDIz/unnamed.jpg" }, "caption": "" } } ] }

Finnish Panthers players react to news of Florida playing 2024 NHL Global Series in Tampere