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Florida Panthers Embrace Sauna Culture Before Beating Stars

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Florida Panthers Niko Mikkola, Nate Schmidt, and Eetu Luostarinen walk into the Nokia Arena Friday wearing custom sauna robes. // Photo courtesy @FlaPanthers

The Florida Panthers went all-in on the Finnish sauna culture before beating the Dallas Stars Friday in Tampere to kick off the two-game NHL Global Series in Finland.

Dallas coach Pete DeBoer did not want to talk about it.

The Panthers came out flying against the Stars, working their way to a four-goal lead before the Stars came back with a couple goals in the final minutes to make the score somewhat respectable at 6-4.

In his postgame press conference, DeBoer was asked whether his team showed some rust early in the game after arriving in Helsinki a day earlier than Florida.

“We left our legs in the sauna? Is that what you’re saying?” DeBoer responded. “They were in the sauna, too, and they showed up on time to play.”

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The Panthers, on the other hand, embraced the sauna life.

According to Paul Maurice, general manager Bill Zito came up with the idea to get his team custom robes complete with the team’s palm tree logo and players’ number — which they all wore on the short walk from the attached hotel to the arena on Friday.

Anton Lundell, who hails from Espoo, even brought a brass bucket and ladle with him.

After winning, Sasha Barkov said it looks like they’ll do it again this morning.

The Panthers and Stars play in Game 2 today at noon ET.

“We have been wearing them a lot on this road trip,” said Barkov, who scored a goal with four points in his first NHL game played in his hometown of Tampere. “We just thought maybe we should wear them to the game as well.”

Maurice, on the other had, said had no plans on showing up at the arena in a robe and sliders.

He does have one, however.

“We were all given sauna robes and Bill Zito was behind all of that,” Maurice said. “No one needs to see that is the general answer for the coaching staff. The No. 1 rule of coaching is never let them see you naked. That’s the priority. You can keep some self respect.

“But I think it was great and done in fun, and I hope it was taken respectfully. This was a big part of our journey, a big part of what happened to us here.”

  • Complete video of the Florida Panthers media availabilities in Helsinki and Tampere — including Barkov and his Finnish teammates answering questions from the local media — is on the FHN YouTube Channel.

ON DECK: GAME 13
NHL GLOBAL SERIES AT TAMPERE, FINLAND
FLORIDA PANTHERS V. DALLAS STARS (GAME 2)

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