Story Summary
Helsinki is set for a nine-day run of major hockey events, culminating in the 2026 NHL Global Series Finland games between the Carolina Hurricanes and Seattle Kraken on 12 and 14 November. The programme begins with the NOCCO Hockey Games, the opening tournament of the Euro Hockey Tour season, and also includes the Liiga derby between HIFK and Jokerit.
The Hurricanes arrive as defending Stanley Cup champions, while Seattle make the trip as the NHL’s newest expansion club. For Carolina forward Sebastian Aho, the visit carries a particularly personal dimension: the Rauma-born Finn attended the Hurricanes’ previous Finnish games against the Minnesota Wild in 2010 as a 13-year-old and will now return as one of the home nation’s leading NHL players.
The two NHL regular-season games will be the first played in Helsinki since the Florida Panthers and Winnipeg Jets met there in 2018. They will be the eighth and ninth NHL games staged in the Finnish capital.
Key Facts
- The NOCCO Hockey Games begin on 5 November, with Finland facing Switzerland at Veikkaus Arena.
- Finland will also play Czech Republic on 7 November and Sweden on 8 November in the Euro Hockey Tour tournament.
- Liiga rivals HIFK and Jokerit meet at Helsinki Ice Hall on 11 November.
- The Carolina Hurricanes play the Seattle Kraken at Veikkaus Arena on 12 November, with the return game scheduled for 14 November.
- Sebastian Aho attended Carolina’s two 2010 games in Finland as a 13-year-old before becoming a Hurricanes star.
- The 2026 games will be the first NHL fixtures in Helsinki since the Panthers and Jets played two games there in 2018.
- NHL Monday Night Hockey broadcasts for European prime-time audiences begin on 30 November with Nashville Predators against Ottawa Senators.
- Eleven games involving 16 NHL teams are scheduled for European prime-time Monday broadcasts.
IHM Discussion
This is more than a pair of overseas NHL fixtures. The schedule connects Finland’s national team calendar, a capital-city Liiga rivalry and the world’s leading club league within the same stretch of days. The NOCCO Hockey Games provide the international opening, with Finland meeting Switzerland, Czech Republic and Sweden, before HIFK and Jokerit bring the focus back to one of Finnish hockey’s most recognisable local match-ups.
The Global Series then gives the week its international centrepiece. Carolina’s return is especially notable because the club last played in Finland in 2010, while Aho’s presence provides a direct link between that visit and the current event. Seattle’s involvement adds a different element, bringing a younger NHL franchise into a market with a long-standing connection to the League and its Finnish players.
Liiga CEO Mikko Pulkkinen described the period as part of a strong autumn for Finnish hockey, with domestic interest already high before the NHL and international events arrive. The sequence gives Helsinki a concentrated showcase rather than treating each fixture as an isolated occasion.
Why It Matters
The programme places Finnish hockey in front of several audiences at once: domestic supporters following Liiga, fans of the national team and those attending NHL games. The HIFK-Jokerit derby remains its own major local occasion, while the Euro Hockey Tour matches give Finland’s national side a high-profile start to its season.
For the NHL, the Helsinki games form part of a broader effort to sustain a European presence after the visiting teams leave. Prime-time Monday broadcasts begin later in November, alongside weekend broadcasts, extending the League’s visibility for Finnish viewers beyond the Global Series itself. The events also give local supporters access to NHL players through open practices and other activities during the week.
Mini Q&A
When are the Carolina Hurricanes and Seattle Kraken playing in Helsinki?
The Hurricanes and Kraken play at Veikkaus Arena on 12 November and again on 14 November.
Which Liiga teams are playing during Helsinki Hockey Week?
HIFK host Jokerit at Helsinki Ice Hall on 11 November.
Why is the Helsinki trip significant for Sebastian Aho?
Aho, who was born in Rauma, attended Carolina’s 2010 games in Finland as a 13-year-old and returns as a Hurricanes star.
What begins the Euro Hockey Tour season?
The NOCCO Hockey Games open the Euro Hockey Tour season, starting with Switzerland against Finland on 5 November.
Coach Mark Comment
The calendar itself is what makes this week stand out. Finland play Sweden on the Sunday evening, HIFK and Jokerit meet on the Wednesday, and the Hurricanes and Kraken take the ice the following night. Each event asks the city to switch its attention without losing the identity of the one before it.
That is a good fit for Helsinki. The national team games carry one kind of pride, the derby has its own local history, and Aho’s return gives the NHL dates a familiar face for Finnish supporters. None needs to borrow importance from the others. Put together, they show how many different ways hockey already matters in the same place.
What Comes Next
The first checkpoint is Finland’s opening NOCCO Hockey Games fixture against Switzerland on 5 November. HIFK then host Jokerit on 11 November before Carolina and Seattle begin their two-game NHL Global Series series on 12 November.
IHM Final View
Helsinki Hockey Week has been built as a full-city hockey programme rather than a short NHL stop. International fixtures, the HIFK-Jokerit Liiga derby and two regular-season games between Carolina and Seattle give the Finnish capital a sustained run of high-level hockey, with Aho’s return adding a personal thread to the NHL finale.