The Carolina Hurricanes and Seattle Kraken meet at noon Eastern in Helsinki, Finland, in the first of two NHL Global Series games, and the setting gives the matchup a different feel from a normal regular-season night in North America. Carolina is back in Helsinki for the first time since the 2010-11 season, while Seattle arrives with a better-than-expected start that has them in the playoff mix early.
For the Hurricanes, the trip adds another layer to a season already shaped by travel and lineup questions. The Kraken, meanwhile, have given themselves a chance to make the opening game in Finland matter, with Saturday's rematch still to come in Helsinki.
Where the game fits in the Global Series
This was the first of two games in Finland, with the Kraken serving as the designated home team for Thursday's meeting at Veikkaus Arena in Helsinki. That also meant Seattle had the last change, a useful edge in a game where matchups can matter more than usual.
The Hurricanes are no strangers to this stage. Back in the 2010-11 season, they played in Helsinki and opened the year with a pair of wins over the Minnesota Wild. This visit is different, but it still carries the same novelty of taking a regular-season NHL game far outside North America.
Lineup watch for Carolina
One of the key personnel notes for Carolina was the expectation that Jusso Valimaki in for Alexander Nikishin would draw into the lineup. That would give the Hurricanes another option as they try to handle a two-game set in unfamiliar surroundings.
The matchup also has a clear broadcast footprint for fans following back home. Mike Maniscalco was listed to call the game on Hurricanes Hockey Network, with coverage also tied to NHL Network, Prime Video, DirectTV and Fubo, alongside regional and radio options including New Bern, Greenville and others.
What Seattle brought into Helsinki
Seattle's early-season form has made this more than just a novelty trip. The Kraken entered with a 9-6-1 record, good for a strong early position in the Western Conference and just two points out of a playoff spot. That is not the profile of a team simply trying to survive on the road.
Ryan Henkel of The Hockey News noted that Seattle's start has exceeded expectations, and the numbers backed that up. They came in with 14 points from 16 games, while Carolina arrived with 13 points from nine games and a nine-game point streak still intact.
That contrast is part of what makes the opener in Helsinki interesting. Carolina has been steady, even if not always flashy, while Seattle has shown enough resilience to stay relevant in the standings. With another meeting scheduled for Saturday, the first game is as much about setting the tone as it is about the result itself.
In a season where every point matters, this Global Series opener gave both clubs something different to manage: the travel, the stage and the pressure of turning a rare overseas trip into a useful stretch of hockey. For the Hurricanes, it was also a reminder of familiar ground in Helsinki. For the Kraken, it was a chance to prove their strong start was no fluke.
