The opinion of NHL stars about Helsinki became remarkably clear – Kaapo Kakko on MTV: “The guys were amazed”
The Seattle Kraken NHL players’ first encounter with Helsinki didn’t go quite as planned. The capital in November received quite a bit of bewilderment from the visitors and ultimately a harsh nickname.
Kraken’s Finnish forward Kaapo Kakko told MTV’s Huomenta Suomessa about the comments that started to emerge about Helsinki as soon as the team arrived in Finland on Sunday.
– I must say that the bus ride from the airport to the hotel, where we were, well… the guys were puzzled in a few places, Kakko chuckled.
And that’s not all. The NHL visitors came up with a comparison for Helsinki that doesn’t exactly flatter the Finnish capital.
– It was called the Winnipeg of Europe. That’s not a good thing, but maybe they have changed their minds now, Kakko revealed.
Winnipeg is quite an unpopular away game city among NHL players. In a survey conducted by The Athletic for the 2023–24 season, over 40 percent of respondents named it the least favorite away game location.
The Kraken and Carolina Hurricanes will face off in Helsinki on Thursday and Saturday. The Finnish players from both teams have been tasked with showing the visitors around the city and coming up with activities together.
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