"I've had reindeer," Korpisalo said of a food you don't find too much in the United States but is on the menu in his native country. "It's actually pretty good. It's not stuff you eat weekly, but if you want to really enjoy yourself, get some reindeer."
For his head coach, though, that is simply a bridge too far.
"I don't eat meat, so no reindeer for me," Brad Larsen said after the team's practice in Helsinki on Tuesday. "My family would be crushed if I ate reindeer. I leave Rudolph alone."
Yes, the reindeer is everyone's favorite cuddly Christmas creature, so it's easy to see why some people might not want to have it on their plate. But a few enterprising media members took the plunge Monday night at a restaurant across from Senate Square -- or Senaatintori -- in downtown Helsinki, and the reports were that the reindeer roast and mashed potatoes was a big hit.
I will admit I went a different direction with perch and salmon soup for dinner, but I did try a piece, and the reindeer was quite good -- very tender and a bit gamey, but delicious in the end.
In the end, this is part of the fun of being in a foreign country, right? The food is a bit different, the culture is a bit different, and the language is very different, but that's what travel is all about.
Helsinki has been worth the trip so far, with walkable streets and a beautiful harbor dotted with shops and food stands welcoming visitors. While one might describe the Finnish language as impenetrable, just about everyone speaks English, so it's easy to get around or get a coffee in one of the many shops in downtown.
And while just about every Finn warned us about the potential for tough weather -- gray skies and rain -- the Blue Jackets were greeted by sunny skies Monday, and the temperatures have been fairly mild and comfortable.
Tomorrow is an off day, so it will be a chance to check out more of the local flavor. Even if that flavor is reindeer.
