Camp chronicles: Joel Kiviranta talks music, food, Call of Duty and more

FRISCO, Texas --Dressed comfortably in a snapback, hoodie, shorts and flip-flops after the first day of training camp on Thursday, Joel Kiviranta exuded quiet confidence when asked about the upcoming season and how far he thinks the Stars could go. Quiet by nature, the 25-year-old reflected on this date last year when the Stars were in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

"We all know we can go back to the Final, and that's what we expect," said the Vantaa, Finland native, who became an instant hero during that run when he
completed a hat trick
in overtime to give the Stars a 5-4 win over Colorado and their first trip to the Western Conference Final since 2008.
"We have new faces and a new team. We have a good team, and we expect to make the playoffs and play great hockey this season."
The 2021-22 campaign will be a big one for Kiviranta, whom the Stars originally signed as an undrafted free agent in May 2019. The 5-foot-11, 180-pound winger hasn't played all that much since coming over from Finland, but he recorded a career-high 11 points (six goals, five assists) in 26 games last season.
As a restricted free agent at season's end, Stars general manager Jim Nill signed Kiviranta to a two-year contract on July 31.
"Joel has developed into a very reliable player who can play various roles throughout the lineup," Nill said at the time of the signing. "His competitiveness, and ability to play in all situations, has made him an important member of our forward group."
Kiviranta has been limited to only 37 career regular-season NHL games and missed significant time last season with a lower-body injury. If he can stay healthy, Kiviranta gives the Stars an option in all situations. But who he plays with to start the season remains to be seen.

Nevertheless, Kiviranta is in good spirits. He loves Dallas and enjoys time spent with his girlfriend and his Finnish teammates, who increased by one with the offseason addition of defenseman Jani Hakanpää.
"I knew him a little bit before," Kiviranta said of Hakanpaa, who skated with Anaheim and Carolina last season before signing in Dallas as a free agent. "I played against him in Finland, and we played together in the 2019 IIHF World Championship. We all know we're over 8,000 kilometers (5,000 miles) away from home, so it's a nice situation to have more Finns on the team."
The Stars' group of Finns - creatively dubbed the "Finnish Mafia" by fans - currently consists of Kiviranta, Hakanpaa, Roope Hintz, Miro Heiskanen and Esa Lindell.
"We hang out at the rink and off the ice," Kiviranta said with a smile. "It's nice. You can bring parts of Finland to Dallas, and it's easier to take your mind off hockey when you can speak your own language and do stuff together."
There's no question Kiviranta loves hockey, but he also tries to take his mind off the game when he's away from the rink.
Hop on the video game, Call of Duty: Warzone, and you just might find yourself plundering Verdansk with him.
"During the season, it's video games and spending time with my girlfriend," he said. "Anything, really, that I can do to put hockey away from my mind when I'm not playing. It's easier to come to the rink the next morning when you feel fresh."
Kiviranta is a big music guy but has his specifics.
"I like all kinds of music," he said. "I like rock, but not too heavy. No yelling. Rap, but not too crazy. I like all kinds of music, but somewhere in the middle." Sort of like his personality: never too high, never too low.
Of all the great food in the Metroplex, Kiviranta sticks with a classic.
"I'd say the best food here in Dallas and in Texas has to be steak," he said with confidence.
Before he left the rink to enjoy the rest of his day, Kiviranta wanted to pass along a message to the fans as the new season approaches.
"It's so nice to play when people come to watch us," he said. "With everything happening last season, they weren't able to come to the games as much. We have new faces on the team, and we were disappointed we didn't make the playoffs last season. Lots of things happened, like the COVID issues and snowstorm, the amount of games we played in a short time.
"Now, we have a good chance to get back to the playoffs."
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This story was not subject to the approval of the National Hockey League or Dallas Stars Hockey Club.
Kyle Shohara is the Digital Manager for DallasStars.com and writes about the Stars/NHL. Follow him on Twitter @kyleshohara.