Seattle Kraken goalie Nikke Kokko stopping 26 Calgary Flames shots for his 1st NHL win was only Kokko’s second most daunting task on Saturday.
More challenging for the 22-year-old native of Oulu, Finland was fielding questions from the English-speaking press corps. He was temporarily stumped when asked which teammate had given him the best pregame advice.
“I was a little bit nervous before the game,” said the goalie, who had made one relief appearance for the Kraken last season. “When I came to the rink and started doing my routine, my warmups, I started to enjoy.”
Matty Beniers wasn’t surprised by Kokko’s calm, confident demeanor, recalling encounters with the goaltender at Kraken development camp. “He’s funny. He goes after guys. He chirps you when you don’t score on him. He’s a competitor. You knew he was going to battle tonight.”
Hockey Night In Canada, similarly impressed by Kokko’s compete level, riffed on his surname – pronounced like the chocolate drink, “Cocoa.” During the Kraken-Flames broadcast, they described the goalie’s strong showing as “Hot Kokko.”
That’s a dad joke Kraken fans will gladly tolerate hearing often in coming years.
Kraken ‘Head Of The Bonfire’
Are folks back in Finland interested in the exploits of their sporting heroes in the NHL? Indeed they are. Here’s the writeup on Kokko’s big night by Helsinki’s largest newspaper, Helsingin Sanomat:
Undoubtedly, Nikke Kokko’s command of English is far superior to the Finnish comprehension of most Kraken followers (me included). So here’s the translation.
Another young Finnish guard, Niklas Kokko of the Seattle Kraken, was also in good shape. He saved the second NHL game of his career with a Seattle win. Kraken won 4-1. Kokko made 26 saves. This was the first time Kokko had been a starting goaltender in an NHL game.
The head of the bonfire did not cool much. He even tried to shoot the puck into the goal at the end of the game when the Flames played without a goalkeeper.
(Note: “Kokko” in Finnish means “bonfire.”)
Daccord Has Goal-Scoring Competition
Kokko attempting a “goalie goal” – it was intercepted by the Flames en route – was evidently a hot topic on two continents. He said he’s made three prior attempts this season while playing for Seattle’s AHL affiliate in Coachella Valley. So why change now?
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen a goalie that almost scored in his first game,” Kraken forward Freddy Gaudreau said through a grin. “He gave us confidence with his energy. He was solid, he was poised.”
During his remarks in the winning dressing room, coach Lane Lambert tossed Kokko a puck to commemorate his 1st NHL win. (The goalie caught it, just like he did with almost all of Calgary’s shots.) Then Lambert joked, “He almost got his first NHL goal, too.”
Ryan Winterton awarded Kokko the ceremonial F1 victory helmet.
Before leaving the ice, he had been named #1 star. The goalie delighted fans at Climate Pledge Arena during a postgame interview on the bench. He told Piper Shaw that he wanted to be the first Kraken netminder to score a goal, “Before Joey (Daccord) does. That’s it.”
The broad grin that then crossed his face needed no translation.
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