Seattle will send a larger-than-usual contingent to Finland for two NHL Global Series games next week against the Carolina Hurricanes after preparing thousands of pounds of gear and logistics in advance.
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The Seattle Kraken are preparing for two games in Finland next week as part of the NHL Global Series, a trip that team staff say is bringing a much larger travel party and a longer list of items than they typically handle on the road.
Head equipment manager Jeff Camelio said the key challenge is ensuring nothing is left behind because “there’s no turning back,” noting that in North America forgotten items can often be shipped quickly but the Finland trip requires careful planning. He described an expanding collection of clothing, equipment and electronics being built up in a dryer-room space beyond the team’s locker room.
According to the team, the Kraken will travel with 117 people to Finland, including players, coaches, wives, team staffers, partners and others. That is about double the usual 55-to-58 people on the team’s regular charter, and the larger group is tied to using a bigger plane and carrying a bigger baggage list.
Camelio said the gear assembled by midweek totalled 7,300 pounds, including 300 pounds worth of sticks, 291 pounds of game jerseys, 194 pounds of practice jerseys, 210 pounds of skates, 408 pounds of blades, 40 pounds of helmets, 80 pounds of socks and 90 pounds of tape. He added that the team is bringing extra sticks, and plans to use six sets of jerseys overseas—three per player for each game.
He also said the Kraken will take helmets for both home and away uniforms because the team expects to use two colours in Finland, along with supplies that are normally provided in an NHL city. Camelio cited tape and toiletries as examples, as well as speakers for locker-room music, and said the team is bringing “travel suits” for players to wear on the plane during the long flight.
Team services director Kyle Shohara said the organization is preparing for the 9-plus-hour flight from Seattle to Helsinki and has been working to make the aircraft storage arrangements comfortable enough for the trip. He said the flight experience is set up with first-class reclining flat-bed seating in individual pods at the front, a premium business-class style middle section and economy seating afterward, with passengers in the rear expected to have access to an entire row of seats.
Shohara said the expanded travel party means there are “a lot more people to inform” about travel documents, flight timing and parking details, calling it “not your typical road trip.” He added that team staff worked out a process to have as much checked luggage pre-screened as possible to reduce delays after the Saturday home game.
The Kraken plan to leave immediately after Saturday’s home game against the New York Rangers and land in Finland early Sunday afternoon local time. A luggage drop-off has been arranged for Friday morning at Kraken Community Iceplex, while others can check items at the airport on Saturday with a cut-off time several hours before the scheduled flight.
Shohara said that extra planning time is needed to accommodate Camelio and the additional equipment being loaded. He described it as a “tedious process,” and said the team is trying to maximize the time before departure to handle any extra luggage efficiently.
Once in Finland, Shohara said the trip still functions much like a regular road schedule, with added complexity from needing two hotels—one for the team, coaches and front office, and another for additional staffers and team partners. He said that requires extra bus routes and timing, noting the team uses similar planning when overflow arrangements are needed back home during the season.
Meals and dietary planning are also part of the process, with lead sports dietician Madison Yerigan coordinating with chefs at the team’s Finland hotel. Yerigan is said to be reviewing planned meals line by line to ensure players with dietary restrictions can be matched with ingredients and alternate options.
Shohara said staff are also reminding people to bring the proper electricity adapters so they can use electronic devices during the trip. He added that pamphlets will cover flight timing and when to rest to prepare for the time change.
Camelio said he is keeping his energy up for the departure by stocking hydroculators—specialized stainless-steel heating units used to keep reusable moist heat packs. He also said he built a list of plug-in equipment, including skate sharpeners, glove dryers and phone chargers, and sent it to the NHL to confirm the power requirements will work overseas.
Camelio said his only previous overseas experience was as an assistant equipment manager for Team USA when it won gold at the 2025 IIHF World Hockey Championships in Denmark and Sweden, and that this will be his first trip in the head equipment role.
He concluded that preparing for the trip takes work, but “it’s going to be a great experience for everyone.”
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