"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."