Winnipeg Free Press https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/sports/jets-to-take-on-panthers-in-finland-471446954.html Jets to take on Panthers in Finland By: Jason Bell Playing a pair of games in the country that produced the legendary Teemu Selanne and a budding superstar in Patrik Laine just makes so much sense for the Winnipeg Jets, doesn't it? Finland is the logical destination for the Jets 2.0 organization's first foray overseas. The NHL has confirmed the Jets will soar across the pond for a pair of 2018-19 regular-season games in Finland against the Florida Panthers in early November. No firm dates or locations have been confirmed. Word surfaced earlier this month about the possibility of club's involvement in the league's ongoing Global Series, however, the rumour then was focused on a Jets' two-game set with the Carolina Hurricanes. But NHL commissioner Gary Bettman confirmed Saturday the Panthers will provide the opposition. The series would be a homecoming for Winnipeg's young superstar, Laine, as well as winger Joel Armia, and Florida's terrific youngster Aleksander Barkov. Laine, 19, who leads Winnipeg with 22 goals this season, hails from Tampere and is massive star here but an even bigger sensation back home. It's a terrific fit and the club jumped at the chance to be involved, chairman and co-owner Mark Chipman said from Tampa Bay, where he's participating in board of governors meetings while watching the fun and games at the NHL All-Star Weekend festivities. Jets centre Blake Wheeler and goalie Connor Hellebuyck are among the NHL's elite at the home of the Lightning. "That's what makes it exciting, obviously, to showcase those players — Patrik and Joel — and we drafted a very good young player in Kristian Vesalainen. Obviously, it remains to be seen whether he would be a part of it, but he's a very promising young player," said Chipman. "Joel has had a wonderful year, really, and of course, so has Patrik. I think it will be very exciting for those young men to be able to show the rest of their teammates and the rest of the organization around their country. There'll be an enormous sense of pride for those guys, for sure. "It wasn't always Florida. As far as I know they were talking to other teams, but now we know it's Florida and that's great," he added. "They have a great young team and a very skilled player from Finland on that team in Barkov, who, I understand, is a good friend of Patrik's. So, that should make it fun." Both hockey teams will use up a home date for the two-game series, meaning Bell MTS Place will host 40 games next season. In effect, the league buys the contest from True North Sports & Entertainment, just as is did for last season's Heritage Classic outdoor game at Investors Group Athletic Centre. "Obviously, you like to play as many games in front of our own fans, but all things considered being able to play in Finland where there's a lot of history (with the Jets), with Teppo Numminen and Teemu (Selanne), I think it's going to feel really good. It's going to be a very exciting time for our organization," said Chipman. Expect the Jets faithful to begin contemplating a European vacation in the fall. "I continue to see (fans) everywhere," said Chipman. "I saw Jets jerseys here (for the All-Star Game). Every building we go to, we see them, so it wouldn' surprise me at all to see our fans follow us to Finland, that's for sure." Earlier this season, the Ottawa Senators and Colorado Avalanche hooked up for contests in Sweden. Next year, Edmonton and New Jersey will also play in Sweden. "We've been working on it for some time, so we've had the opportunity to consult with and talk to some of the teams that have done it in the past — most notably Colorado and Ottawa this year," Chipman said. "Both explained that they had real good experiences... so, it should be a really exciting event for us and we're very honoured that we've been asked to participate." Those a little longer in the tooth will fondly remember the likes of centre Veli-Pekka Ketola and goalie Markus Mattsson with the Jets of the old World Hockey Association, while the Jets 1.0 had the remarkable Selanne — he of the 76-goal rookie season in 1992-93 — and sensational blue-liner Teppo Numminen. For the real diehards, who can forget Hannu Jarvenpaa and Petri Skriko? The good money's on the Finnish Flash being involved in some fashion in November, although Chipman isn't sure at this point. "I'm not aware if he's aware. This is a league event and all our discussions have been with the league," he said. "Whether or not, at some point in time, some of our former players from Finland would be involved remains to be seen. It'd be great ..." Winnipeg Sun http://winnipegsun.com/sports/hockey/nhl/winnipeg-jets/jets-to-play-panthers-in-finland-next- november Laine, Jets to play Panthers in Finland next November By Ted Wyman It says something about the impact Patrik Laine has made on the world of hockey before his 20th birthday when the NHL is already making him the focal point of a pair of regular season games in his home country. Laine, the budding superstar from Finland, will get a chance to perform in a Winnipeg Jets uniform next November in a pair of games in Helsinki. The games will be played against the Florida Panthers, who have a Finnish star of their own in Sasha Barkov, but make no mistake, this overseas road trip has more to do with Laine than anything else. “It has everything to do with it,” Jets chairman Mark Chipman said Saturday in a phone interview from the All-Star Game in Tampa Bay. “Clearly he has made a real mark on the game at a very early age. He’s very much the centre of attention throughout his country. It’s not just his ability on the ice that has been so intriguing to people, it’s the way he carries himself and the maturity that he has at such a young age that has caught a lot of people’s attention.” The overseas games were formally announced Saturday by NHL commissioner Gary Bettman, who also unveiled plans for a season-opening two-game set between the Edmonton Oilers and New Jersey Devils in Sweden. Dates and times still need to be finalized for the Jets-Panthers games, but rest assured tickets are going to be hard to come by in a country that sees Laine as a star approaching the level of Teemu Selanne and Jari Kurri. Laine has 22 goals and 39 points in 50 games this season after scoring 36 goals and 64 points in 73 games last year as an 18-year-old. The Jets will lose one of their 41 home games next season, though Chipman said the Jets will be “made whole” as the NHL buys the game from the team. It was a similar situation last season when the Jets hosted the Heritage Classic outdoor game at Investors Group Field. “We’re very excited,” Chipman said. “It’s something we’ve been working on with the league for some time now and it’s nice that the commissioner made the announcement today.” While Laine is the Jets’ best know Finnish player, they also have a fine winger in Joel Armia (nine goals and 20 points this season) as well as a couple of solid Finnish prospects in 2017 first round draft pick Kristian Vesalainen and Manitoba Moose defenceman Sami Niku. Chipman, whose team is in first place in the Central Division with 66 points at the all-star break, believes the international games will be great for the growth of the game. It’s fitting to send one of the league’s more exciting, fast-skating young teams to such a showcase. The other international series next season will feature players like Connor McDavid of the Oilers and Nico Hischier of the New Jersey Devils, two of the last three first-overall picks in the NHL. “You just look at the content of our league and how many of our star players and our total players come from those European countries,” Chipman said. “The ability for us to go over there and let them play in front of their home fans is really important and will only help us grow the game.” CBC Manitoba http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/winnipeg-jets-florida-panthers-finland-game- 1.4507787 Jets, Panthers, to play NHL games in Finland, to delight of Finnish fans Superstars like Laine, Armia will be top attractions in Finland, says hockey journalist By CBC News NHL fans in Finland won't have to stay awake until 4 a.m. to watch their homegrown hockey stars, at least for two games next season. The Winnipeg Jets and the Florida Panthers will play two regulation NHL games in Helsinki, Finland in November for the 2018-2019 season. For Finnish fans who can't get enough of young Jets superstar Patrik Laine, this is exciting news, said Pekka Jalonen, a Finnish journalist who regularly writes about Finnish NHL hockey players. "Usually fans have to stay awake during the night to see the NHL games live on TV, because most of the games start at 2 or 3 or 4 [a.m.] our time," said Jalonen.