NHL Games in Helsinki: Aho & Kakko Return

0:00It's March 23rd. Welcome in. This is NHL News today, where team coverage meets AI. The NHL just announced two regular season games, coming to Helsinki, Finland, and 2026. The Carolina Hurricanes will face the Seattle Kraken, at Vike House Arena on November 12th and 14th. This marks the first time NHL teams play there in 8 years. The arena shut down for 3 years after sanctions hit its Russian owners over the Ukraine invasion. A Finnish real estate firm stepped in late last year, bought the place, renamed it Vike House Arena, and fixed it up for a full reopening next year. Finnish hockey fans have plenty to cheer about with homegrown stars on both teams. Hurricanes forward, Sebastian Aho, lead to squad and scoring, and earned bronze for Finland at the recent Olympics. His teammate, Jaspari Kokanemi, stays put despite trade buzz, while Kraken players Kaapokako and Eli Tolvenen also lit it up for Team Finland overseas. This bumps the league's European slate to four games next season.

1:03Just weeks later, the Chicago Black Hawks and Ottawa Senators hit Dusseldorf, Germany, on December 18th and 20th. With the arena revived and familiar faces returning home, these matchups promise a big boost for international fans and a fresh chapter in the global series.