The Dallas Stars Take (to) Helsinki
I’ve now been in Finland for a bit over 24 hours. Not enough of those hours have been spent sleeping, but when you’re traveling, that’s to be expected.
Besides, I can’t complain. The Dallas Stars’ plane spent upwards of four hours sitting on the tarmac in Dallas on Sunday before they were finally able to take off. Some of the players said it was the longest they can remember sitting on a plane, including prior international travel. It’s about an 11-hour flight from Dallas to Helsinki without delays, so with an extended waiting period before even departing, you can imagine how stir-crazy you could get.
But to hear the players talk about it, that wasn’t the case. For the most part, they were able to sleep (although Jason Robertson said today that there is still some adjustment happening, and some of the players will take naps today as they try to ensure their sleep schedules get on track). In fact, despite the team having to cancel a rather ambitious practice yesterday as a result of the delay, they were still able to do a team bonding event with a sauna experience and a dinner with traditional Finnish dishes, such as reindeer and salmon soup (or “Lohikeitto” as it’s called here).
I actually had some Lohikeitto of my own for lunch today, and I can confirm that it is delicious. Though, in fairness, I find almost all soups delicious. I am looking forward to being 70 years old and being able to eat soup for every meal without anyone bothering me about it.
It’s a creamy, delicious mix of salmon, potatoes, fresh dill, leeks, and even some allspice in there, too. I managed to find a market nearby that was largely filled with locals eating lunch—which is far more affordably priced than dinner tends to be, according to the same—but fortunately for me, a good portion of the population here speaks English as well as Finnish. Not that I couldn’t point to something and say “please,” if it came to that, but it’s nice to exchange pleasantries when you’re a guest in the country. My proudest moment so far was walking into a pizza place late last night and asking, “Onko sinulla WC?” They pointed me to the staff bathroom without hesitation, and I felt great about myself, right up until I realized I would have to switch to English when actually ordering pizza afterward, shattering any illusions about my nationality. Ah well.
I have found myself having to hit the brakes when I start to attempt small talk, though. One Finnish person at the Stars’ media availability last night even reached out afterwards and apologized if he was “rude” during our conversation, which he wasn’t at all (though I probably was). But the advice I have gotten from multiple people is that uncomfortable silence is easier to handle than an uncomfortable conversation. It’s been good for me to learn that my attempts to make other people comfortable can have the opposite effect. Sometimes you just need to wait and listen and learn. Often, in fact.
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Despite the canceled Monday practice, the team did have a short workout with some resistance bands and other minimalist implements after getting to the hotel on Monday evening, before the team went to the aforementioned sauna experience that involved a cold plunge into the Baltic Sea.
On Tuesday, the Stars practiced for a pretty hard 45 minutes or so, with some flow drills and a short scrimmage at the end of the day. One person joked after the workout that a hard practice was a good way to flush all the beer from the night before out of the body, and I suppose that goes for reindeer, too.
A few things about practice on Tuesday: first, it took place in Herttoniemen, which is a neighborhood of Helsinki. It was in a gorgeous facility that is also simple and clean, with a second-floor balcony over the player benches. It was built by a local company for the community, and you’ll notice no ads or sponsorships anywhere in the rink. It’s really all about the hockey.
This is Herttoniemen jäähalli, where the Stars practiced this morning. (It translates to "Herttoniemen ice rink" if my Finnish is right.)
Rinks here are sources of great communal pride. You'll notice zero ads. Multiple people I've talked to said, unprompted, "We built it." pic.twitter.com/n3BFOIXk6L— Robert Tiffin (@RobertTiffin) October 29, 2024
Second, the Zamboni they used looks way cooler than the standard ones in North America. The headlights are awesome, but the overall aesthetic looks slick, too, like what Pixar would probably make a Zamboni look like if they make a third Inside Out movie where Riley is middle-aged and depressed, driving an ice resurfacer after hockey games she can no longer play because of an unfortunate injury just as her career was beginning, just saying Disney, this is a great pitch that can be yours for a low, low price of [many dollars]. Call my agent. (Note to self: get an agent.)
As for the practice itself, I don’t think I’ve seen this many smiles on players’ faces (particularly the normally stoic Hintz and Heiskanen) since the first day of training camp, and maybe not even then. There was a ton of goofing off, including a moment where Tyler Seguin scored a goal that popped Jake Oettinger’s water bottle off the net, after which Seguin took a drink from the bottle before attempting to replace it. But the hijinx were happening all over the ice, with players battling hard and hooking each other away from the play. You could tell that the team bonding is not having an adverse effect.
One thing I’ve noticed so far is that a lot of the Finnish media have been asking the players about their impressions of Finland and of Finnish players. I’m sure some of them are working on stories that will be helped by quotes about “Those Finns always work extra hard and play a solid two-way game” or something like that. I’ve also been asked this same question, and I’m going to ponder it for a couple more days before even attempting to give an answer that is more than a stereotype or an unfair generalization based on a single day of interactions. But surely there is a reason why a disproportionately large number of NHL players come from a relatively small country like Finland. Probably more than one reason.
One other thing on small talk: I have noticed many times so far, at different shops, bars, and restaurants, is that it is very rare to see a local Helsinkian walk up to another person and talk to them unless they are clearly friends already. People tend to keep their meal or their drink to themselves, whether it’s a coffee, a beer, or a delicious salmon soup. I would say that most establishments I’ve been in so far have an extremely comfortable silence, or at least a gentle hubub in the case of indoor markets (of which there are quite a few excellent ones around town). But the more you accept it, the more welcoming it feels.
Back to hockey, though. It’s been really cool to see the interactions between Roope Hintz, Miro Heiskanen, and Esa Lindell and the Finnish media here. While I don’t understand most of the questions and answers (as evidenced Monday evening when two of us English-speaking folks asked questions that, Lindell pointed out with a smile, he had just answered in Finnish). In fact, Hintz even told the media that he was working on designing a signature shoe over the summer, proceeds from which will go to help children in need to participate in leisure activities like athletics. You can read more about that in the English translation of Harri Hepojärvi’s piece here: https://www.iltalehti.fi/nhl/a/230ef5ea-0c68-44ba-bca8-f0f4d0dfcf30
Roope Hintz will be launching a signature shoe, he told the Finnish media yesterday.
I'm gonna take a wild guess and say that "rope" is a theme, based on the shoes he was wearing today. Interesting piece here:https://t.co/LtOjd6ebJp pic.twitter.com/lbIjyCxSRG— Robert Tiffin (@RobertTiffin) October 29, 2024
On Wednesday, the Stars are traveling up to Tampere, where they will play the Florida Panthers on Friday and Saturday. In preparation for that, three members of the Stars’ training staff, including Dennis Soetaert, are traveling up Tuesday afternoon to get everything ready for practice on Thursday, which will help make Wednesday a true “off day” for everyone.
***
In the meantime, Esa Lindell will be attending a hockey game for other business reasons, as Jokerit plays on Tuesday night.
Jokerit was one of Finland's most iconic teams. Then it was gone.
So Esa Lindell & Teuvo Teräväinen helped buy the club with hopes to restore it to former glory.
“It was the time to do something right for the team that really did so much for me.”https://t.co/2uZV1cC42x pic.twitter.com/PPaxRGDKdQ— Sean Shapiro (@seanshapiro) January 31, 2024
Lindell is a part-owner of the local club along with fellow NHLer Teuvo Teräväinen, and you must allow me to plug Sean Shapiro’s great piece on Lindell and Jokerit from back in January, won’t you? Logan Stankoven and a few of the other players mentioned they will be going as well, so it sounds like the team bonding will continue at its current breakneck pace.
I asked Lindell last week (in jest) if he has to buy a ticket to see Jokerit play. He said he hopes he will be able to get in for free. Personally, I hope he stands next to every one of his teammates and watches them buy a ticket through Ticketmaster to show their support.
Another amusing anecdote: Lindell was asked Monday what it’s like to play in his home country, where he can have friends and family come to see him play the way other players do in their hometowns in North America. Lindell’s deadpan answer: “Well, it’s a lot more expensive.” I guess you can’t be an owner of Jokerit without having a pretty good sense of humor.
(Programming note: I’ll also be going to the Jokerit game tonight, but that experience will probably have to be its own piece, so stay tuned.)