Nikke Kokko says Seattle told him early last week he would be called up from the Coachella Valley AHL team before the Kraken face the Carolina Hurricanes in Helsinki.
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Nikke Kokko received word from the Seattle Kraken early last week that they planned to call him up from the Coachella Valley team in the American Hockey League before flying to Helsinki on Saturday to serve as their non-rostered third goalie for the 2026 NHL Global Series Finland.
Kokko said he immediately contacted his parents, who booked the hotels and flights, and that the call-up gave him an unexpected chance to visit family and friends while spending the week in Finland practicing and staying around the team off the ice. He added that he is working hard and is ready to play if needed.
The Kraken hold two games at Veikkaus Arena against the Carolina Hurricanes, with Thursday’s matchup scheduled for 12 p.m. ET and Saturday’s game set for 1 p.m. ET. Kokko said it is unlikely he will dress for either contest barring an injury to Joey Daccord or Philipp Grubauer, and Kraken coach Lane Lambert said having Kokko available provides the team “a little bit of security” in case an injury comes during the series.
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