Carolina Hurricanes practice at The Cave in Helsinki ahead of NHL Global Series, Digi Mart USA News (Helsinki, Finland): The Carolina Hurricanes held their first practice at Veikkaus Arena on Monday in preparation for the 2026 NHL Global Series against the Seattle Kraken later this week. The team arrived about two hours after landing from an eight-hour overnight flight, and the awe of the setting helped players shake off their jet lag.
The Hurricanes used the arena’s practice rink, known as “The Cave,” for an afternoon session. The rink sits two stories underground, carved out of the bedrock beneath the arena, and its white stone walls and roof give it an intimate feel.
It is the home rink of the junior team of Jokerit, one of the biggest clubs in Liiga, Finland’s top-tier professional league.
Forward Sebastian Aho played there as a junior player for Karpat’s under-20 team and had described it to teammates on the bus ride from the airport. Captain Jordan Staal said the team had been calling it The Cave.
“That might have been my first time taking an elevator down into a rink, but, man, that ice felt like home,” he said.
The players hit the ice like they were junior-aged again, hooting and hollering as they ran drills. The first game against the Kraken is Thursday at 12 p.m.
ET, and the second is Saturday at 1 p.m. ET.
Both games will be broadcast on HHN, Prime Video, CARNHL, KONG, KING, NHLN and SN1.
Forward Jesperi Kotkaniemi also played junior hockey at the arena while with Assat. He said Monday was his first return in at least a decade, and that the building still left a strong impression.
“I think everyone was pretty excited,” he said. “Guys were really pumped about seeing the sauna in the locker room and watching everything that’s going on around them.”
Coach Rod Brind’Amour, who has spent a half century in the game as a player and coach, said the rink holds a special place for him. He first saw it in 2010, the season after he retired, when the Hurricanes played the Minnesota Wild in the NHL Premiere Series there.
“It was my first year of being done, but I was with the team, and that is just kind of in awe,” he said.
Staal took part in his first full practice since suffering a calf injury during warmups before Carolina’s 4-1 win over the Philadelphia Flyers on Oct. 11. He had taken part in the morning skate Saturday.
“It was hard ice out there, and it made it easy for me to get some glide,” he said. “It was a fun practice and excited to be back with the guys.”
Brind’Amour said he was encouraged to see Staal on the ice. The Hurricanes are the NHL’s best team this season at 14-3-2, and Brind’Amour said the team is stronger with Staal in the lineup.
Staal, 38, won the Conn Smythe Trophy as MVP of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs, scoring 12 points (eight goals, four assists) and shutting down the top line of each opponent across 19 postseason games.
Brind’Amour said he is not sure Staal will play on this trip but that he is in the mix. Staal said he is aiming to return in one of the games against the Kraken but will not rush his recovery.
“We’re going to keep moving forward, and if things continue to progress the way they have, I’ll hopefully try to get in the lineup here soon,” he said. “Whether it’s here or, unfortunately, back home, but I’m trying to do my best to keep moving forward.”
