Kraken Fans As Well As Players Bonding In Finland 

HELSINKI, Finland – Kraken fans Steve Lariviere, his wife, Diane, and adult daughter, Kimberly, had spent much of Wednesday exploring this city’s streets, a museum and a church. 

Now, the West Seattle trio was randomly checking out a bar in town called “Kraken Helsinki” wondering whether any likeminded Seattle hockey fans might gravitate to a place specializing in rum drinks, karaoke and pool with some tentacle creature designs on the wall. Turns out they did indeed bump into a Seattle couple that had also freshly arrived in town the day before as this city prepares for Thursday’s first game of the NHL Global Series between the Kraken and Carolina Hurricanes. 

“We’ve been Kraken fans since Day 1 so we just put our money in early,” Lariviere said of booking tickets for the series through Victory Travel, the NHL’s designated tour partner for this two-game series Thursday and Saturday. “Diane had just retired so we figured ‘Why not? Let’s go, let’s go. And that’s when we bought into it.” 

That they’ve done, their fan group leaving last week and stopping in Stockholm, Sweden ahead of arriving by overnight ferry here on Tuesday morning. Most of their group had opted to spend Tuesday on a ferry ride to neighboring Estonia for the day, but Lariviere, a Boston native and hockey fan since 1967, had never been to a Nordic country and preferred to take in the city sights. 

With official NHL fan events beginning only Thursday afternoon at pre-designated establishments Henry’s Distillery and Hook, Lariviere and his family had seen the Kraken Helsinki bar and its nautical theme online and decided to check it out in hopes other early hockey revelers might as well. 

“We’ve met a lot of fans that I think we're now pretty good friends with,” Diane Lariviere said of the past week since getting to Europe. “We’ve even run into Canes fans that have been very pleasant.” 

And it isn’t only fans getting closer while awaiting the series start. 

In the shopping district around the team’s hotel Wednesday afternoon, Matty Beniers, Berkly Catton and Mackie Samoskevich could be seen walking around in a group with Brandon Montour, Chandler Stephenson and Josh Mahura.  

“I love this group,” Samoskevich had told assembled Finnish and American media members about his new teammates earlier Wednesday following the Kraken’s second practice here. “I think that's the first thing I noticed right away. How much fun they had off the ice and on the ice too.”

Samoskevich came to Finland two years ago with the Florida Panthers in another NHL Global Series held in the city of Tampere. Now, knowing more of what to expect with a 10-hour time difference from Seattle, he’s been able to focus on trying different foods and experiencing a full-fledged Finnish sauna – complete with a cold ocean dip – and a Tuesday dinner session on-site with the full team.  

“This trip's been really good for spending time with the teammates and it's been really fun,” he said. 

Kraken linemate and housemate Catton agreed. During Tuesday’s off-day for the team, he and Stephenson, whose family Catton lived with last season, went clothes shopping. 

“We always say we like the Euro style a lot, so we tried to get some stuff like that,” he said. 

Afterwards, they also partook in the sauna and dinner.    

“Yeah, it's a fun team bonding experience in a different country with just the guys,” Catton said. “So, going to the sauna and doing stuff like that is great.” 

Kraken head coach Lane Lambert, who had never visited Finland despite having family here, spent Tuesday’s off-day touring around with his wife, Annie, brother, Ross, and Finnish sister-in-law, who came in from the city of Lahti where they live about 65 miles away. 

“We saw a lot of the sights and things like that so it was pretty special,” he said.  

Lambert wants his players soaking in the opportunity to see a country most of them have never been to. He isn’t worried about them enjoying the chance to play tourist so long as they focus when needed. 

“Certainly, what we've asked them is, when we come to the rink we're dialed in,” Lambert said. “And you know, we got here Sunday, practiced Monday. I thought we were dialed in pretty good on Monday, and then from there, I just wanted them to let their minds go free, enjoy it, and then back to work (Wednesday). From here on in, to me, from here on in it's all business.” 

As it will be for Kraken fans as well once games start being played here on Thursday night. But unlike Kraken players, the Lariviere family from West Seattle will still have time for some pregame mingling Thursday afternoon and then more down time Friday ahead of Saturday’s series finale.  

“It’s been really fun,” Diane Larriviere said. “My family’s from a Nordic background so you’d think I’d have come here before. But no, it’s my first time. 

“And it’s been real easy,” she added. “The food’s been great, people are good. It’s been easy as pie. I’m so glad we did this.”