It’s going to be a fun few days for hockey fans in Finland. The Stanley Cup has returned to the hockey-crazed nation thanks to a group of Florida Panthers players who are bringing the historic trophy back to their homeland. Again. On Thursday, the good times got started with Panthers defenseman Niko Mikkola. The massive Finn shared the Cup with locals in the area of his hometown of Kiiminki before taking some time with family and friends. His first stop was at the Oulu University Children’s Hospital in nearby Oulu. “That was a pretty cool moment, to see all the kids and bring happy faces for them, and for me also,” Mikkola said. He then took the Cup down his own personal memory lane, visiting a pair of his former schools and then once again stopping at his old youth rink, Jäälihalli. It’s a venue that holds a very special place in Mikkola’s heart, so much so that he’s now brought the Stanley Cup there two summers in a row. This year, there was a new addition to Jäälihalli that hit Mikkola right in the feels: A beautiful mural was painted on the walls featuring Mikkola hoisting the Stanley Cup above his head. Other than the rink, Mikkola said he took advantage of having a second Cup day by visiting the places he wasn’t able to last summer. “It’s very cool, we’ve been doing the things we didn’t have time last year,” he said. “It was very cool to see my old schools, that was very special to me.” You can check out footage of Mikkola’s day with the Cup below: LATEST STORIES FROM THE HOCKEY NEWS - FLORIDA Report: Evan Rodrigues won't be traded, considered a 'really important player' by Panthers [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers/latest-news/report-evan-rodrigues-won-t-be-traded-considered-a-really-important-player-by-panthers] Panthers' Matthew Tkachuk Joined By Brother And Father On Deluxe Edition Of EA Sports NHL 26 [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers/latest-news/panthers-matthew-tkachuk-joined-by-brother-and-father-on-deluxe-edition-of-ea-sports-nhl-26] Florida Panthers forward Jesper Boqvist brings Stanley Cup to hometown in Sweden [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers/latest-news/florida-panthers-forward-jesper-boqvist-brings-stanley-cup-to-hometown-in-sweden] Florida tan: Panthers name engraved onto Prince of Wales Trophy for third straight season [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers/latest-news/florida-tan-panthers-name-engraved-onto-prince-of-wales-trophy-for-third-straight-season] Matthew Tkachuk featured on cover of NHL 26, first Panthers player selected since John Vanbiesbrouck [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers/latest-news/matthew-tkachuk-featured-on-cover-of-nhl-26-first-panthers-player-selected-since-john-vanbiesbrouck]
