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Day 2: November 14, Helsinki, Finland
On Day Two of the NHLPA Goals & Dreams “10 countries in 10 days” tour, Esa Tikkanen, Jyrki Lumme, and Markus Naslund joined the G & D crew.
Day Two - G & D tour gaining momentum as team visits Helsinki, Finland…
Day two did not disappoint as the NHLPA Goals & Dreams crew had another amazing day in Europe. It started with an early flight from Stockholm, Sweden to Helsinki, Finland where the crew once again engaged in some spirited hands of the card game Euchre. For the second day in a row, Langen and Zamuner held an advantage over Smith and Stock. Dozens of hands have been played while the crew has been in the air, with the trash talking starting to pick up (Zams' team holds an early 4-3 lead in the series, with many more games to come).
Upon arrival in Helsinki, it was time for the second event on our tour. With the help of former NHL player Jyrki Lumme, the Finnish IFK Hockey Club organized a first-class event. We held a pre-game press conference that featured Esa Tikkanen, Jyrki Lumme, Markus Naslund and Rob Zamuner presenting 10 Country, 10 Days Tour jerseys to the Canadian Ambassador to Finland, Christopher Shapardanov, and Icehearts Program Founder, Ilkka Turkka. (Icehearts helps financially challenged children and new Finnish residents play the sport of hockey).
The press conference was followed by a pre-game ceremony in front of 7,400 fans, which greeted the G&D crew with a rousing ovation. Zamuner, Stock and Naslund presented a few of the kids from the Icehearts program with NHLPA Goals & Dreams jerseys as a symbol of the 20 sets of equipment donated to the grassroots hockey program (Elomaa School in Finland also is receiving 5 sets of hockey equipment from NHLPA Goals & Dreams). The crowd was also thrilled to see five-time Stanley Cup-winner Esa Tikkanen on the ice lending a hand to donate the equipment.
Turkka thanked Jyrki and all NHLPA members for their commitment to grassroots hockey in Finland.
We then were treated to a fantastic Finnish league hockey game. The contest was very exciting with the visiting TPS team, featuring former Toronto Maple Leafs defenceman Aki Berg, getting a 6-5 victory.
Following the game, the NHLPA Goals & Dreams crew had a great roundtable discussion with Lumme, Naslund, Stock and Zamuner. The topics ranged from characters in the league and the style of hockey here compared to the game played in the NHL. The crew shared a bunch of laughs and is now looking forward to visiting with Pavel Bure in the historic capital city of Russia, Moscow tomorrow. It should be another good day.
Until tomorrow,
NHLPA Goals & Dreams crew
NHLPA Goals & Dreams in Finland
Despite being one of the smaller country stops on the tour, Finnish born players have proven to be very generous in giving back to their communities. Over the last decade, NHLPA members have made several equipment donations in attempts to growing the game back home. Many Finnish NHL players have been involved in NHLPA Goals & Dreams donations including Jyrki Lumme, Ville Nieminen, Teppo Numminen and Teemu Selanne. From the southern tip of Helsinki to the hundreds kilometers north of Suomi, programs have received over $300,000 CDN in hockey equipment and arena upgrades.
A few of the programs supported by the NHLPA Goals & Dreams fund include:
- Maila and Pallo Hockey Organization – 30 sets of equipment – Ville Nieminen
- Tappara-Ry Hockey Program – 70 sets of equipment
- Tornio Ice Hockey Club – 17 sets of equipment
- Vantaan Icehearts – 30 sets of equipment
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Day Two - Lumme, Naslund and Zamuner Present NHLPA Goals & Dreams Tour Jerseys Day Two - NHLPA Goals & Dreams Event Ends in Dramatic Fashion at TPS/ IFK Hockey Game Day Two - Jyrki Lumme Talks About NHLPA Goals & Dreams Equipment Donation in Finland
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