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. The NHL has a strong following in Finland despite excellent hockey from the Finnish Elite League, said Jalonen, and Laine is the "biggest star in Finland, or in Finnish hockey.

Source: CBC News January 28, 2018 19:30 UTC