Barkov, Laine putting friendship on hold for Global Series in Finland

The usually reserved Aleksander Barkov has no doubt who will win when he goes head-to-head against Patrik Laine.

"If we play 1-on-1, he probably won't have any chance," the Florida Panthers center said about the Winnipeg Jets forward.
The more boastful Laine agrees, without reservation.
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"Yeah, he's better," Laine said.
Better on the tennis court, Laine notes immediately, referring to the summer pastime the two friends share.
The hockey test will come this week when the Panthers and Jets play the 2018 NHL Global Series at Hartwall Arena in Helsinki, Finland on Thursday (2 p.m. ET; NBCSN, TSN3, NHL.TV) and Friday.
It will be a homecoming for Barkov, 23, and Laine, 20, each born in the town of Tampere, about 110 miles from Helsinki.

After watching each other play for separate teams in town, they met two years ago when they were linemates for Finland at the 2016 IIHF World Championship.
"I remember I saw him a couple of times [at Tappara]," Barkov said of the Finnish club team each called home before the NHL. "He was a few years younger than anybody else but he was already better and his skill level and goal-scoring were at a different level.
"At the World Championship, it was natural. We were from the same town, same organization and I knew about him for a long time, that he was going to be a really good player. And he knew about me, so it was an easy transition to friendship."
It's a relationship born not only out of a similar background, but common interests and mutual respect and admiration.
Tennis is a perfect example.
Playing as a doubles team, they reached the final of a tournament last summer hosted by Teemu Selanne, a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame and one of the most famous athletes in Finland. They lost to Selanne and New York Islanders forward Valtteri Filppula in the final.
"We had a few tennis tournaments together this summer," Laine said. "And now, from next summer on, we're going to have our own charity golf tournament in our hometown."

"It's Patrik's idea," Barkov said. "He asked if I would join him in Tampere and we'll do it together and it'll be a better [event]."
The Global Series is another big event the two explosive forwards will share, this time on opposite sides in the first NHL regular-season games in Finland since 2011 NHL Premiere.
Laine, who has five points (three goals, two assists) in 12 games this season, scored 36 goals as a rookie in 2016-17 and 44 last season, including an NHL-leading 20 power-play goals.
Has Barkov been surprised by anything his friend has done in the NHL?
"He hasn't scored 50 goals (in a season) yet," said Barkov, who has eight points (two goals, six assists) in nine games this season. "I'm surprised by that."
The compliments are just as sincere the other way.
Laine said he considers Barkov one of the NHL's best centers.

"He has sick hands and his vision is unreal," Laine said. "He plays with a long stick, so his reach is really good and he's really good at backchecking and taking away the puck. Everybody has seen he can shoot and he's pretty magical in shootouts. But his overall game is one of the best."
Barkov, in his sixth NHL season, has 257 points (102 goals, 155 assists) in 340 games. The Panthers captain had a breakout season in 2017-18 with an NHL career-high 78 points (27 goals, 51 assists) in 79 games.
Barkov and Laine followed near-identical paths to the NHL, despite the difference in age.
Each grew up in Tampere and enjoyed hockey success at a young age at Tappara, playing professional games when they were 16 and 17.
Each was the No. 2 pick in his NHL draft, Barkov by the Panthers in 2013 and Laine by the Jets in 2016.
Laine said Barkov set a great example and influenced his own desire to make it to the NHL.

"He did it three years earlier than me but he was one of the guys I was watching from the team and I tried to follow the steps he was taking," Laine said. "It was great to see a young guy make it to the [Tappara] team and then get drafted really high.
"I was always watching our team games when he was playing. He was a great player already when he was 16, 17 years old, and fun to watch."
Barkov said Laine is fun off the ice as well and laughs when asked about what seems like Laine's unfiltered honesty in most interviews, manifested through harsh self-criticism when he wasn't scoring a lot of goals for the Jets last season -- even though he wound up second in the NHL behind Alex Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals, who had 49.
"When you read his comments, they're funny if you know the guy," Barkov said. "If you read what he said, it probably makes him sound like he's honest but if you know the guy it makes you laugh.
"In real life, he's just lots of fun to be around, a very, very funny guy."
Now the friends are preparing for a special NHL experience in their home country. They have never played against each in Finland because of age difference and club affiliation.
Laine insists the games are not just about the two of them.
"We're two Finnish guys playing. Both teams have superstars on their team and obviously everybody will want to see them play," Laine said. "But I think the main focus will be, obviously, the game still. But as individuals, I think it's going to be me and [Barkov]."
Barkov can't wait.
"Fans in Finland and Sweden follow a lot of NHL games and players and it's a really good thing for them to see the players live," Barkov said. "Just to play in Helsinki. But, of course, to play against him, he's a really good friend from the same town, from the same organization and to play a couple games with our NHL teams is kind of once in a lifetime"
Laine said he has secured an arena box for each of the games, in addition to many additional tickets for his family and friends.
"It's three numbers," he said of his ticket allotment. "It's going to be pretty amazing to be in our home country. It doesn't matter if it costs. Whatever. It will be worth it."