Kaapo Kakko met 20 youth hockey players from TPS in a private Veikkaus Arena suite during his visit with Seattle.
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Seattle Kraken forward Kaapo Kakko returned to his Finnish roots this week as part of the NHL Global Series against the Carolina Hurricanes, and 20 local youth players from the HC TPS organization were invited to meet him after winning a raffle.
The winners included brothers Kasper Smith, 6, and Viktor Smith, 8, from Turku, about two hours from Helsinki, who said the private suite gave them time to ask questions before the autograph session.
In the suite, Kasper said Kakko asked about what school the brothers attend and how old he is, while Viktor said he asked for Kakko’s stick; the brothers also joked about asking for sandals Kakko was wearing, though neither received them.
TPS communications specialist Emmi Partanin said many of the children want to play in the NHL and that meeting a player who once played for their organization means a lot.
Kakko donated tickets and transport for the open practice, and the visit came as he discussed work with NHLPA Goals & Dreams, a charity fund run by the NHL Players’ Association that directs money to youth organizations in players’ hometowns. TPS runs youth hockey programs for players ages 7 to 15, plus junior hockey teams and a squad in Finland’s top Liiga.
Kakko, who played two pro seasons for TPS before being selected second overall by the New York Rangers in 2019, said after meeting the players that it feels “crazy” to see kids looking up to him, and he added that it is “easy” to talk with them after practice.
The brothers said the experience of watching an NHL practice up close was valuable in its own right, with Viktor saying he learned how hard players pass the puck and Kasper noting a difference in how Kraken players respond when the whistle is blown.
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