Finland’s world champion hockey stars meet fans in Tampere as Helenius awaits mother’s homemade treat

Finnish ice hockey world champions Konsta Helenius and Aleksander Barkov greeted fans in Tampere on Friday, drawing a crowd of around 100 supporters to a local car dealership, Yle reports.

Helenius, who returned to his hometown of Ylöjärvi after the victory, told Yle he has spent the past week recovering with sleep and golfing with friends. The 20-year-old forward said he plans to spend time with family and visit his grandparents this summer, though training remains a priority. Ylöjärvi recently honored its local champions by naming a rink after Helenius and his teammate Waltteri Merelä—a gesture Helenius called particularly meaningful.

Despite the whirlwind of attention since Finland’s gold medal win, Helenius described the experience as “quite nice” so far, though he admitted to turning down some requests. “I like routine in life,” he said. One tradition he hasn’t yet revisited: his mother Maiju’s raw muffin batter, a favorite he told Yle he plans to request “tonight.”

Barkov, arriving straight from practice, said he returned to the ice as early as Wednesday, calling training “a lifestyle, not a burden.” After landing in Tampere, his first stop was a sauna and chicken wings—“as it should be.” The Tampa Bay Lightning captain has no major summer plans beyond recovery, though Helenius joked that Barkov, who “doesn’t play football,” wouldn’t be joining their informal games with Tappara teammates.

Among the fans waiting hours for autographs were 9-year-old Hilja and 12-year-old Eino Vanhatalo of Lempäälä, who arrived early with their mother Milla. Hilja hoped for Helenius’s signature; Eino was there to see Barkov.