For the love of hockey

"The only way a kid is going to practice is if it's total fun for him... and it was for me." - Wayne Gretzky

I'm a lover of Ice Hockey and it's game-day here in Finland and the excitement is building as my team ( IFK Helsinki ) are looking to secure their top 6 place and avoid an extra round of games. I won't make it to this game but I'll be following it with keen interest. In Winter 2009, I had my first visit to Finland and my first live hockey match where I became a fan of a new team, IFK Helsinki. Since then, I've been a massive HIFK fan, averaging about 5 live games per season since 2010 and it's a trend that I hope to continue going forward... The playoff will start in a few weeks and my guys will definitely be there! Stadin Kingit!!!


Like most kids who don't grow up in a country where it's popular (or even exists) I first experienced hockey through the magic of The Mighty Ducks. I remember years ago when I couldn't sleep, flicking through the TV stations for something to watch at about 3am and there it was, Detroit Red Wings vs Anaheim Ducks. It was 2007 and also the first time I heard of the legendary Teemu Selanne. I watched 4 games of the series over the course of about a week and I was hooked. Perhaps it's the Irish connection, but I then became a BRUINS fan and quickly establish a love for the team. I can even lay claim to watching every single Bruins game live on TV during the 2017/18 season. That's no mean feat with the time difference here in Europe.!!!

2011 World Championship - Finland is of course my adopted country and team but over the years I've really grown to love them. I follow the progression of players from the youth ranks and their careers in the NHL. The Olympics are obviously the biggest prize in International Hockey but recent rule changes in the NHL have made this messy. Nevertheless, May is when the World Championships come around and even when I was living in Ireland, there was a large Finnish contingent who booked out 2 separate bars during that month for the games. As you can see, I went a little crazy with my attire but it was a truly spectacular few weeks that ended with Finnish people dancing on tables to "We are the Champions" and singing in the streets of Dublin into the early hours of Monday morning following a comprehensive thrashing of our neighbours and rivals, the Swedes. The score was 6-1!!!! Let me repeat that. Finland 6-1 Sweden. It's important that we really emphasise what a thrashing it was. Most of the Swedes left the bar long before the final buzzer.

Living in a country where Ice hockey is popular is just great. The winter months here are long and boring so it's nice to be able to attend regular games. Before moving here I had attended 29 games over the years with as many as 7 in one season. I'm hoping that those numbers will grow and grow. Tickets are quite reasonable in terms of price, I regularly pick up a ticket at the home end next to the ice for less than €20. But beware the price of beer. You can't actually drink your beer during the game in your seat due to certain alcohol laws here in Finland. Those who run the league have found a way around this by extended the break between each period from 15 to 18 minutes (20 minutes on a Saturday) which leaves adequate time to queue for a beer, drink it quickly and then relieve yourself in the WC, in time to enjoy the next 20 minutes of hockey.

It was a big win last night for my Bruins who are now 17-in-a-row in terms of games with at least a point scored and 3rd overall in the NHL. A 4-3 overtime win over an in-form Carolina team lifted us to our 4th win in a row and consolidated second place in the division. It's looking like we'll have home ice against Toronto in the playoffs, although there's a long way to go. In the net we have Finland's own Tuukka Rask, who's brother Joonas plays for my other team IFK Helsinki, so it's nice that they have that connection. Aside from these guys, I think the new talent of Aho & Rantanen are probably the best, along with the powerhouse scoring of Laine. My favourites have to be the Bruins pair from Canada, Marchand & Bergeron. They are Bruins royalty and the chemistry is arguably the best that exists in the NHL. I'm expecting them to carry us through the playoffs!!!

Tonight HIFK have home ice against Pelicans and I'm expecting a close game but a home win, possibly after penalties. Oh, and while I'm here I must give a shout out to the other Helsinki team, Jokerit. They secured a vital home win last night to stay in the playoffs and extend their post-season. Still trailing 3-2 in the best of 7 against Dynamo Moscow, they're up against it. These guys I used to hate as they were our city rivals, but now that they play in KHL, I've come to like them and support them so best of luck to both Helsinki sides this week!!!

"Pelataan jääkiekkoa!"