Peter Grummit
Well-known member
Having never managed to get to a game, despite a few trips to Toronto and Dallas for work, I finally got to a game in Helsinki a couple of weeks ago when visiting junior PG who is studying there this year.
The local team, Jokerit Helsinki, play in a serious Eastern European League (KHL). Teams are spread from the Balkans, across the Baltic and Russia as far as Vladivostock. There is even a Japanese team! I saw Jokerit whip a Russki team 6-1 and it was great fun. Crowd was about 10k in a great indoor stadium that holds almost twice that. Street food and beers available, for a price, in the two inter-period intervals.
A couple of days later, we knew there was another home game against Dinamo Riga. We were staying in an AirBnB apartment that overlooked the docks, and on the morning of the game, we saw a straggle of blokes walking up from the ferry port, with colours on and waving a massive flag. Turns out they were Riga fans, over for the game, despite it being a 3 1/2 hour ferry trip, preceded by a 5 hour drive to Tallin from Riga! They must have travelled through the night. We didn't go to the game, but saw that Jokerit were 5-0 up after the 2nd period. Somehow, Riga turned it around and scored 5 in the 3rd period to take it to overtime, and ended up winning the penalty shootout! I bet they enjoyed their trip home!
So, today I'm following Jokerit playing away at Omsk in Russia, and they manage to nick a 1-0. Flicking through the photos of the game I came across this one .
Away fans from Helsinki, for a midweek game. Omsk is 6 hours away - by plane!
Anyone else seen any Eastern European ice hockey, or indeed in North America?
PG
The local team, Jokerit Helsinki, play in a serious Eastern European League (KHL). Teams are spread from the Balkans, across the Baltic and Russia as far as Vladivostock. There is even a Japanese team! I saw Jokerit whip a Russki team 6-1 and it was great fun. Crowd was about 10k in a great indoor stadium that holds almost twice that. Street food and beers available, for a price, in the two inter-period intervals.
A couple of days later, we knew there was another home game against Dinamo Riga. We were staying in an AirBnB apartment that overlooked the docks, and on the morning of the game, we saw a straggle of blokes walking up from the ferry port, with colours on and waving a massive flag. Turns out they were Riga fans, over for the game, despite it being a 3 1/2 hour ferry trip, preceded by a 5 hour drive to Tallin from Riga! They must have travelled through the night. We didn't go to the game, but saw that Jokerit were 5-0 up after the 2nd period. Somehow, Riga turned it around and scored 5 in the 3rd period to take it to overtime, and ended up winning the penalty shootout! I bet they enjoyed their trip home!
So, today I'm following Jokerit playing away at Omsk in Russia, and they manage to nick a 1-0. Flicking through the photos of the game I came across this one .
Away fans from Helsinki, for a midweek game. Omsk is 6 hours away - by plane!
Anyone else seen any Eastern European ice hockey, or indeed in North America?
PG