Seattle Kraken forward Jani Nyman says the 2026 NHL Global Series Finland in Helsinki is “a great opportunity” after earning a call-up in October.
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The Seattle Kraken are headed to Helsinki for the 2026 NHL Global Series Finland, where the team will face the reigning Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes at Veikkaus Arena on Thursday at 12 p.m. ET and again on Saturday at 1 p.m. ET.
Nyman, a 22-year-old forward from Valkeakoski, Finland, said the opportunity is meaningful. “It’s a great opportunity for me,” he said. “I don’t know if I’ll get a chance to do this again, so it's a good opportunity for me and I'm so excited.”
Seattle promoted the 6-foot-4, 212-pound forward after Jared McCann sustained a lower-body injury expected to sideline him for 10 weeks. Nyman received the call on Oct. 24 and joined the NHL club while it prepared for the Global Series.
Before the promotion, Nyman had been producing for Seattle’s American Hockey League affiliate, Coachella Valley. He was selected by Seattle in the second round (No. 49) of the 2022 NHL Draft.
Kraken coach Lane Lambert said the organization expects Nyman to develop into an NHL goal scorer, pointing to his results at the American Hockey League level. “Jani, he is a goal-scorer,” Lambert said. “He’s scored at the American League level. We're looking forward to having him score at the National Hockey League level on a consistent basis.”
Nyman has been playing mostly in a fourth-line role with Seattle, focusing on improving his defensive responsibilities and positioning as he seeks a larger role. Lambert said the coaching staff has worked with Nyman on defensive play and that, in his view, the forward’s overall “200-foot game” has progressed this season compared with the same point last year.
Nyman acknowledged that adjusting to a new level can be challenging for young players, but said he is trying to manage his role and keep working toward more minutes. “It's probably always sort of a question mark with a young player how the game changes when you move up levels,” he said. “Of course, it can be a little challenging, but you just have to do your best and do what is needed in that moment.”
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