Finland

Learn how to play hockey in
Finland

Discover hockey heaven, where the sport is a national obsession and the culture embraces winter with saunas and quiet resilience.

Finland offers pristine nature, innovative design, excellent education, and a unique culture that values honesty and determination. The hockey infrastructure is world-class, the competition is strong, and you'll experience true Nordic winter in a country that knows how to thrive in it.

For players who want to be immersed in a serious hockey culture, Finland is one of the best places in Europe to do it.

Ex-pat Friendliness:

Very High
Many Finns can speak excellent English and are often pretty straightforward communicators. In our experience first hand and via players, we've found Finns to be welcoming, especially once connections are made.

Cost of Living:

Moderate to High End
Finland is a bit higher than average cost of living wise in Europe. Teams that imports play for will generally aim to cover many or all of these costs for you (housing, meals, car, etc).

Weather/Climate:

Nordic Adventure
Weather varies naturally by the region. Subarctic to continental with long dark cold winters (10-30°F/-12 to -1°C) and short but nice summers (59-68°F/15-20°C). Snow lasts from November to March-April in most regions.

Proximity of Travel:

Nordic Explorer

Estonia, Sweden, and Russia (St. Petersburg) are only a few hours by train.

Within Finland, you'll want to explore Lapland, the many thousands of lakes, saunas, and the rest of the country has to offer.

Hockey Culture:

Powerhouse

Finland is one of the best hockey countries in the world on a number of levels.

It's one of the world's true hockey powerhouses, with world-class infrastructure, intense competition at every level, and a culture where hockey is simply part of life.

Leagues

Liiga sits as the top league in Finland. Mestis sits at the 2nd tier followed by Suomi-sarja (3rd tier), II-divisoona, and III-divisoona.

The junior/youth system is comproised of clubs in SM-Sarja, and Mestis from U16 up through U20

Auroraliga is the top women's league is the country.

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