When Florida Met Finland: A Finnish Hockey Love Affair

From Esa Tikannen to Sasha Barkov, the love the Florida Panthers have for their Finnish players runs deep.

The Panthers have a long history of drafting, signing, and trading for players from the small Scandinavian country. 

With a total of 22 players donning the famous “Pouncing Cat” jersey over the years, the Panthers have established themselves as a popular destination for Finnish hockey players.

Actually, since the Panthers’ inauguration in 1993, only the Dallas Stars have had more Finnish skaters (23) dress for their club. 

But with a few Finnish prospects in the team’s pipeline, like defensive standout, Santtu Kinnunen, a tie for this unique title seems imminent.

And so, what better time of year to highlight this special love between team and country, than today, Valentine’s Day.

February 14 marks a special day in the United States and other parts of the world. It is a collective celebration to focus on one’s partner and exchange gifts of flowers, chocolates, and handwritten cards, all in the name of St. Valentine.

But in the game of hockey, we don’t get sappy very often. Romance isn’t exactly synonymous with this sport. 

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Aside from a few exceptions of some straight-to-DVD (or at least should have been) Hollywood rom-com films like The Cutting Edge, Odd Man Rush, or The Love Guru, when one thinks hockey, they probably think missing teeth, bone-crushing hits, and an over-use of the phrase “pass the puck, eh.” 

But don’t be fooled, there is plenty of love and warmth in the world’s coldest game. And if you’re looking for that one word that is truly connected with hockey, it’d be camaraderie. 

Now, if you’re like me, you had no idea how to spell camaraderie off the cuff and had to Google it. But when you do, it’ll give you an example of using the word in a sentence. Hold onto your hats cause this was a nice little coincidence; it reads, “a genuine camaraderie on the hockey team.”

Pretty cool, eh?

Yeah, that was about as anti-climactic as the ending to the Eagles and Chiefs Super Bowl game.

But camaraderie and hockey certainly do go hand in hand.

And what is especially fitting about the word camaraderie, and its association with hockey, Valentine’s Day, and Finland, is that in Finland, Valentine’s Day is better known as Ystävänpäivä. 

Come on, sound it out. 

And what Ystävänpäivä (you’re still saying it wrong) translates to, is “Friends Day.” And during Friends Day, everyone is included.

Friends, family, neighbors, colleagues, and of course, teammates.

So with the Panthers captain hailing from Tampere, Finland, you can rest assured that the celebration of Ystävänpäivä (there you go, now you’ve got it) is in full effect with him and all of his teammates.