Kalervo Kummola and Teppo Numminen will have the honor of dropping the opening pucks of NHL games this weekend.
Already in the late 1970s, Kalervo Kummola brought NHL teams to Finland to play. JAAKKO STENROOS / AOP
Playing NHL games in Tampere is also a big deal for Kalervo Kummola, a Finnish and Tampere hockey great.
– This is an extremely great thing. The defending Stanley Cup champion is in Europe for the first time, it’s especially great, says Kummola.
Kummola, who served as the president of the Finnish Ice Hockey Association from 1997 to 2016, has a special task in Friday’s Colorado-Columbus match.
– I was called to drop the opening puck of the game. Teppo Numminen will drop it on Saturday, Rautakansleri says.
Familiar stuff
Artturi Lehkonen (left) and Mikko Rantanen are the defending Stanley Cup winners. JUSSI ESKOLA
Kummola was the CEO of the SM League from 1975 to 1987. The midwifery of NHL teams to Finland started during Kummola’s CEO term.
– The NHL came to Finland for the first time when I was CEO of the SM league. It was in the late 1970s. Rangers and Washington were here, in Helsinki and Oulu.
– It was quite a struggle at the time, but it worked out with relationships. And it wasn’t impossibly expensive back then either, “Kale” times.
– At that time, the SM league organized those games. Live Nation organizes them these days, it’s become show business.
– But in Finland, the hall is full. There is no risk to come here, even though there is a bigger hall in Europe, for example in Cologne.
And when Kummola gets excited about reminiscing about the old days, there’s enough talk.
– I was also the first to manage transfer compensation between the SM league and the NHL. In the beginning, the amount of compensation was $40,000 and there were no conditions. There were conditions for that later, I think there was a limit of 40 played games.
– I brought WHA teams to Turku. The Winnipeg Jets were there in 1974. Then Detroit’s farm team, the London Lions, were there in the early 1970s. They ruined their tour when they were beaten 7-1, Kummola brings hard data to the table from history.
A win for the Blue Jackets
The fans expect Patrik Lainee to score goals in the Tampere games. JUSSI ESKOLA
Back to today. Kummola is cautiously betting on the winner of the Tampere games.
– Colorado is the early favorite. It’s hard to say the winner, I hope Columbus gets points too, says Kummola, the guest of honor at the games.