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#NHLPeachy #FinlandPeachy #NHLStats Pack: 2026 NHL Global Series Finland
Three key storylines to know ahead of the 2026 NHL Global Series Finland between the Hurricanes and Kraken at Veikkaus Arena in Helsinki, Finland Nov. 12 and 14, which will include two of the top five highest-scoring Finnish players this season in Sebastian Aho and Kaapo Kakko:
* At the conclusion of the two-game set between the Hurricanes and Kraken in Helsinki, the NHL will have reached 50 regular-season games hosted outside North America, with that total set to grow to 52 before the turn of the calendar when the Blackhawks and Senators face off for two games in Dusseldorf, Germany Dec. 18th and 20th.
* The Hurricanes will become the fourth reigning Stanley Cup winners to appear in a game outside North America in the season following their championship. Stanley Cup winners own a 5-1-0 record overseas in the previous occurrences.
* The Kraken will become the 27th active franchise to appear in a regular-season games outside North America when they make their international debut at Veikkaus Arena on Nov. 12.
Resources:
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The Hurricanes will appear in a set of games outside North America for the second time after they played twice in Helsinki for the 2010 Premiere Series, but this time they’ll be travelling as reigning Stanley Cup champions. Carolina will be the fourth reigning champs to appear in games outside North America following the 2024-25 Panthers (2-0-0 in 2 GP in Tampere, Finland), 2022-23 Avalanche (2-0-0 in 2 GP in Tampere, Finland) and 2007-08 Ducks (1-1-0 in 2 GP in London, England).
* All 20 players who dressed for the Hurricanes in their Cup-clinching Game 6 victory remain with the team in 2026-27. Of note, captain and Conn Smythe Trophy winner Jordan Staal is currently on IR.
* The most recent NHL games in Finland also involved the defending Stanley Cup champions when the aforementioned Panthers swept a back-to-back set against the Stars in Tampere on Nov. 1, 2024 (FLA: 6-4 W) and Nov. 2, 2024 (FLA: 4-2 W). In the first game of that set, Aleksander Barkov (1-3—4) took First Star honors in front of his home-country crowd by factoring on four Panthers goals in the victory.
* Carolina (2-0-0) is one of five teams to have won all of their games outside North America, alongside New Jersey (3-0-0), St. Louis (2-0-0), Toronto (2-0-0) and Philadelphia (1-0-0). Should they stay victorious through the two games of the 2026 NHL Global Series Finland, they would become the first team in NHL history to win each of their first four regular-season games outside North America.
* This will mark Rod Brind’Amour’s first experience in NHL games outside North America as a player or behind the bench. Carolina’s first foray into Europe came the season following Brind’Amour’s retirement when he was in his first year as Director of Player Development for the franchise.
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The Kraken will play their first regular season game outside North America and become the 27th active franchise to do so (all but MTL, NYI, WSH, VGK & UTA). Of those 27 clubs, Seattle will be the third to do so within their first six NHL seasons, following Nashville (3 seasons; GAME ONe Japan 2000) and Anaheim (5 seasons; GAME ONe Japan '97).
* The Kraken can become the 14th team to win their first regular-season game outside North America – the Maple Leafs were the last to do so at the 2023 NHL Global Series Sweden. With the Kraken and Hurricanes dueling twice at the event, Seattle can also become the seventh team to win their first two games outside North America, a feat their opponent also achieved.
* Seattle will become the third team to make their debut in an NHL game outside North America while facing the defending Stanley Cup champion. The Kings earned a 4-1 win over the Ducks (Cup winners in 2007) in the opener of the 2007 Premiere Series in London and the Stars fell 6-4 to the Panthers (Cup winners in 2024) in the first of two games at 2024 NHL Global Series Finland.
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After the Hurricanes and Kraken complete their back-to-back set at Veikkaus Arena in Helsinki Nov. 12 & 14, Finland will have hosted a total of 13 regular-season NHL games. The only country outside of North America to host more: Sweden (19x). Helsinki will tie Prague, Czechia (9x) for the second-most NHL regular-season games hosted outside North America behind only Stockholm, Sweden (18x).
* At least 5% of all NHL players have been born in Finland in each season since 2018-19 (min. 1 GP in reg. Season or playoffs). Finland had never comprised of five percent of the League in any season prior to 2018-19.
* Through Nov. 1, there have been 8,852 total players in NHL history, including 277 Finnish nationals who have appeared in an NHL game (regular season or playoffs).
A closer look at the six Finnish players across the two rosters:
* Sebastian Aho (CAR; Rauma, Finland) is off to a strong start to the 2026-27 campaign (9-12—21 through first 16 GP) after helping the Hurricanes capture the Stanley Cup in 2025-26. Teemu Selanne (17x), Jari Kurri (13x) and Aleksander Barkov (10x) are the only Finnish nationals with as many 20-goal seasons as Aho (10x). Aho also ranks high on the Finnish all-time list for regular-season goals (5th; 2 behind Olli Jokinen for 4th), points (7th) and game-winning goals (3rd; 3 behind Jari Kurri for 2nd) as well as for playoff goals (5th), assists (5th) and points (4th).
* Jesperi Kotkaniemi (CAR; Pori, Finland) is one of eight Finnish players in NHL history to be selected among the first three picks in an NHL Draft (No. 3 in 2018 by MTL). Kotkaniemi is a veteran of over 500 NHL games who is in his sixth season with Carolina. He already has twice as many goals this season as he did in all of 2025-26 (42 GP) and, as of Nov. 3, is tied for fifth in goals among Finns in 2026-27.
* Juuso Välimäki (CAR; Tampere, Finland) has skated in nearly 300 career NHL games and recorded an assist in his Hurricanes debut on Oct. 20. He has represented Finland many times on the international stage including at the Under-18 World Championship (where he won gold), World Junior Championship (where he served as captain in 2018) and 4 Nations Face-Off.
* Kaapo Kakko (SEA; Turku, Finland) was selected No. 2 overall in the 2019 NHL Draft (by NYR), tied for the highest-selected Finnish player of all time with Patrik Laine (2016), Aleksander Barkov (2013) and Kari Lehtonen (2002). Kakko matched his career high for points in a season in 2025-26 (13-27—40 in 65 GP) and since joining the Kraken via trade on Dec. 18, 2024, he has the third-most assists (51) and sixth-most points (76) among Seattle players over that span. Entering Nov. 3, Kakko ranks fifth in NHL scoring among Finnish players - a list topped by Aho.
* Ville Ottavainen (SEA; Oulu, Finland) is a hulking, 6’5” rookie defenseman in his first full NHL season after three full seasons with the AHL’s Coachella Valley Firebirds. Ottavainen made his NHL debut in 2024-25, notching an assist in his only game that season.
* Jani Nyman (SEA; Valkeakoski, Finland) was a second-round pick by the Kraken in the 2022 NHL Draft (49th overall) who was recently recalled from the AHL’s Coachella Valley Firebirds where he was producing at over a point per game (9-2—11 in 9 GP). Nyman has recorded double-digit games played totals with the Kraken in each of his previous two seasons (12 GP in 2024-25 & 28 GP in 2025-26) as he continues to aim for a full-time role with the NHL club.
* The 10 combined goals by the Panthers and Stars on Nov. 1, 2024 in Tampere was the highest-scoring NHL game outside of North America of all-time.
* Did You Know? On Oct. 13, linesperson Onni Hautamaeki became the first Finnish official in NHL history, making his NHL debut on his 31st birthday.
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* Thirteen players across the two rosters have played in an NHL regular-season game outside North America.
* Six Hurricanes have played in an NHL regular-season game outside North America: Shayne Gostisbehere (3 GP), Nikolaj Ehlers (2 GP), Jordan Staal (2 GP), Logan Stankoven (2 GP), Eric Robinson (2 GP) and Taylor Hall (1 GP).
* Shayne Gostisbehere (1-2—3 at 2023 GS) and Nikolaj Ehlers (1-0—1 at 2018 GS) are the only players on Carolina’s active roster who have already scored a goal in a game outside North America. Gostisbehere, who netted a goal in Game 1 of the 2026 Stanley Cup Final, is one of 12 defensemen in NHL history to score in the Stanley Cup Final and in a game contested outside North America. Only three other active blueliners have achieved the feat: Cale Makar (2022 GS; 2022 SCF), Victor Hedman (2019 GS; 2022, 2021 & 2020 SCF) and Brent Burns (2010 PS; 2016 SCF).
* Seven Kraken have played in an NHL regular-season game outside North America: Brandon Montour (2 GP), Bobby McMann (2 GP), Mackie Samoskevich (2 GP), Matthew Wood (2 GP), Freddy Gaudreau (1 GP), Adam Larsson (1 GP) and Jared McCann (1 GP).
* Kaapo Kakko, Ville Ottavainen and Jani Nyman could all play their first NHL game outside North America in their own country of Finland, something current teammate Adam Larsson (Skelleftea, Sweden) was able to do when he participated in the 2018 Global Series Sweden in Gothenburg as a member of the Oilers.
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A few fast facts from #NHLStats:
* Six players have scored their first NHL goal in a game played outside North America, including two who did so in a game contested in Finland: Mavrik Bourque at 2024 NHL Global Series Finland (Nov. 1, 2024 w/ DAL) and Nate Guenin at the 2011 NHL Premiere Series Finland (Oct. 7, 2011 w/ ANA).
* Twelve players have recorded their first NHL point in a game played outside North America, including two for the Hurricanes: Zac Dalpe in the first game of the 2010 NHL Premiere Series Finland (Oct. 7, 2010) and Jeff Skinner in the second game of that set (Oct. 8, 2010).
* Sebastian Aho (CAR) and Kaapo Kakko (SEA) were teammates on Finland’s bronze medal-winning entry at the 2026 Winter Olympics – both players scored in Finland’s 6-1 victory over Slovakia in the bronze medal game.
* Half of all NHL regular-season games played outside North America have been decided by a one-goal margin or ended in a tie (50%; 24 of 48).
* Twelve NHL contests played overseas have gone past regulation. The last time an NHL game in Finland required overtime, the Hurricanes earned a 2-1 shootout win over the Wild.
* There are seven birth countries represented across the Hurricanes and Kraken active rosters (as of Nov. 3): Canada, United States, Finland, Sweden, Russia, Germany and Denmark.
* A total of 21 different Finnish players have won the Stanley Cup (based on birth country), including Sebastian Aho and Jesperi Kotkaniemi with the 2026 Hurricanes.
* Four Finnish born players have been inducted to the Hockey Hall of Fame: Jari Kurri, Teemu Selanne, Pekka Rinne and women’s hockey star Riikka Sallinen. Rinne will be the first Finnish goaltender inducted when he goes in as part of the Class of 2026 on Nov. 9, just days before the 2026 NHL Global Series Finland contests Nov. 12 & 14
* One Finnish player has captained a Stanley Cup champion: Aleksander Barkov (2024 & 2025 w/ FLA). Barkov and Dustin Brown (2012 & 2014 w/ LAK) are the only players born outside Canada to captain multiple Stanley Cup-winning teams.
* A total of 11 different Finnish-born players have won an individual NHL Award, including one who did so with the Hurricanes. Goaltender Antti Raanta (Rauma, Finland) captured the William M. Jennings Trophy alongside Carolina teammate Frederik Andersen in 2021-22.
* Players from Finland have combined to win the Selke Trophy six times, the second-highest total of any country behind only Canada (33). Jere Lehtinen (3x) and Aleksander Barkov (3x) make up the six instances.
* Teemu Selanne (684-773—1,457) is the highest-scoring Finnish player in League history in terms of both goals and points, while Jari Kurri (797) tops the list in career assists.
* Finland joins Canada as the only country to produce multiple players who have reached the 600-goal milestone (Selanne & Kurri).
* Pekka Rinne (369) has the most career wins among Finnish goaltenders, one of four from the country to reach the 300-win milestone alongside Miikka Kiprusoff (319), Kari Lehtonen (310) and Tuukka Rask (308). Rinne (2017-18), Rask (2013-14) and Kiprusoff (2005-06) all won a Vezina Trophy.
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Additional charts in attached PDF:
* Most NHL Points in Birth Country, European Players
* Most NHL Points In Finland by Finnish Players
* Finnish Goaltenders Statistics When Playing in Finland
