Feature Photo: Getty Images

It is fitting that hockey globetrotter Matt Duchene will soon take part in his third NHL Global Series experience.

It’s a unique opportunity, one that will see the Dallas Stars play the Florida Panthers for a pair of regular-season games in Tampere, Finland, on Nov. 1 and Nov. 2 as part of the 2024 NHL Global Series presented by Fastenal. It is not lost on a player whose hockey passport includes games played in Switzerland, Germany, Slovakia, Czechia, France and Sweden.

For Duchene, it will mark a first, specifically, his first time ever playing in Finland.

“It feels like I’ve been everywhere else, but I have never been to Finland,” said Duchene, who is off to a hot start, tallying 11 points in his first nine games this season. “I played a lot of games overseas over the years – a couple of Global Series – so it’s very cool to go somewhere different.”  

Duchene’s first Global Series action came in 2017 when he was with the Ottawa Senators.

In a unique twist, the centre played his first two games with the Senators in Stockholm, Sweden, against his former team, the Colorado Avalanche, who had traded Duchene five days prior.

Two years ago, Duchene, then with the Nashville Predators, played a pair of games against the San Jose Sharks in Prague, Czechia, as part of the 2022 NHL Global Series.

Duchene will now be part of history with the Stars when they become the 27th NHL franchise to play in the NHL Global Series.

“I have been very fortunate to have played in a lot of great cities and countries over my hockey career, both in the NHL and for Team Canada,” said the 33-year-old, who won gold at the 2014 Sochi Olympic Winter Games, as well as at the 2015 and 2016 world championship.

“This is going to be another exciting opportunity and one I am really looking forward to for a lot of reasons.”

Duchene, who suited up with Frölunda HC of the Swedish Elite League and HC Ambrì-Piotta of the Swiss Elite League during the 2012-13 owner-imposed lockout, is looking forward to adding another European destination to his hockey resume.

“I’ve been lucky enough to play for Canada in different places throughout Europe and during the lockout, I played in Sweden for a couple of months and then in Switzerland. It was nice to be able to see those countries and enjoy a lot of new hockey experiences.

“Early on in my career, it was obviously very different than what I had ever known, and it was a little overwhelming at times, but as you go on, you start to enjoy it and embrace all the amazing things you experience. It’s always a lot of fun to enjoy the game in a new setting.”

Duchene and his Dallas teammates will have some knowledgeable tour guides to help them get the most of their trip to Finland.

Forward Roope Hintz was born and raised near Tampere, and defencemen Miro Heiskanen and Esa Lindell both hail from the hockey-rich nation of over five million citizens.

“It’s going to be great for the Finnish guys on our team,” said Duchene, who signed with the Stars as an unrestricted free agent in July 2023. “They have some stuff planned for us, so that’s going to be one more thing to look forward to.

“To be able to travel the world like we do, it is a blessing, and you never take it for granted.”

Duchene, who like his team, is off to a strong start this season, is hoping the two games in Finland can further solidify Dallas’ status as a major Stanley Cup contender in 2024-25.   

“There is nothing not to like about this team. We have a very strong group.

“We know what our goal is this season. We have been knocking at the door the last couple years and hopefully we can break through this year.”