TAMPERE, Finland — Fans in Finland were treated to a thrilling game as the Florida Panthers and Dallas Stars honored their Finnish players by putting them all on the ice right from the start on Friday night.

The Panthers featured four players from Finland: Aleksander Barkov, who hails from Tampere, along with Eetu Luostarinen, Niko Mikkola, and Anton Lundell. Similarly, the Stars showcased their Finnish trio consisting of Miro Heiskanen, Roope Hintz, and Esa Lindell during the opening shift.

Barkov wasted no time in making an impact, contributing to a goal by Evan Rodrigues just 28 seconds into the game, which set the tone early on. He later scored for himself during the first period, marking his first NHL goal in his home country. Previously, he had participated in two other games in Finland back in 2018 with the Panthers.

Lundell also added to Florida’s scoreline later in the first period. The Panthers currently boast the highest number of Finnish players in the NHL this season, while Dallas ties for the second-most with three.

This matchup serves as a precursor to another game on Saturday, where Florida will take on Dallas again in Tampere. The game on Friday was considered a “home” game for the Stars, whereas the Panthers will have home team status on Saturday.