Kiekko-Espoo vs Vaxjo

The match was moved from Kauniainen Ice Hall to Espoo Metro Areena on game day — and played without spectators — after an air-conditioning fault at the original venue forced its cancellation on Tuesday. The switch was announced via social media on Wednesday afternoon, with Kiekko-Espoo sports director Kim Hirschovits saying the club wanted to honour their Swedish guests who had already travelled to Espoo.

That disruption did not slow the hosts. Kiekko-Espoo struck 90 seconds into the first period to lead 1-0, catching the Lakers cold. Växjö grew into the game as the period progressed. Jimi Suomi went close midway through, but the equaliser came with under four minutes left: Kalle Kratz finished a fine move set up by Morgan Anderberg, tying the score at 1-1.

The second period followed a similar pattern. Kiekko-Espoo regained the lead early — this time on the power play — and created several chances off Växjö giveaways. But the Lakers answered again. With 3:45 remaining in the period, Brogan Rafferty raced onto a breakaway and beat the Espoo netminder to make it 2-2.

The decisive moment came in the third period. Dennis Rasmussen stepped up on the power play to fire Växjö ahead 3-2 — their first lead of the night — and the Lakers locked down defensively to close out the win.

The match also marked the first minutes in a Växjö jersey for forward Peter Cehlárik, who joined the SHL side during the off-season.

Rasmussen's power-play goal in the third period shifted the momentum decisively. After twice fighting back to parity, Växjö finally held a lead and could manage the game on their terms. Kiekko-Espoo, sharper on the rush through two periods, struggled to generate the same quality of chances while chasing the game.

• Brogan Rafferty (Växjö): Delivered the equaliser on a breakaway late in the second period when his side needed a spark. His finish was clinical.
• Kalle Kratz (Växjö): Scored the crucial first equaliser that settled Lakers’ nerves after the early setback, assisted by Morgan Anderberg.
• Dennis Rasmussen (Växjö): Netted the winner on the power play in the third period, rewarding the Lakers’ patience with the man advantage.
• Morgan Anderberg (Växjö): Provided the primary assist on Kratz's equaliser and was involved in several other dangerous sequences.

For Kiekko-Espoo, their two early-period strikes — one at 1:30 of the first and a power-play goal early in the second — showed finishing quality, but they could not withstand the third-period special-teams pressure from the SHL visitors. Espoo's goalscorers were not named in available match reports.

Player of the Match: Brogan Rafferty

The 3-2 scoreline undersells how close the contest was. Växjö trailed twice and needed a power-play winner in the third period to separate the sides. For a pre-season friendly between a Liiga club and an SHL side, the game had genuine intensity: physicality increased noticeably through the second period, with battles along the boards and post-whistle scrums suggesting both teams were already operating near regular-season tempo. Kiekko-Espoo’s ability to score within the opening minutes of periods one and two speaks to sharp game-start preparation, while Växjö’s discipline in special teams — scoring one PP goal and stifling Espoo’s PP after the early second-period marker — made the difference.

The match was the first of two consecutive pre-season meetings between these sides. The second is scheduled for Thursday 27 August at Lohja Ice Hall, with public attendance permitted.

For Kiekko-Espoo, the loss ended a three-game pre-season winning streak (2-0 vs Tappara on 14 Aug, 4-3 at Linköping on 19 Aug, 4-2 at Pelicans on 21 Aug) ahead of their Liiga season opener at home against KalPa on Tuesday 1 September. The defeat is a useful correction — better now than in the regular season.

For Växjö Lakers, the comeback win builds momentum before their Champions Hockey League campaign, which begins with a road game against Adler Mannheim on 4 September in the CHL regular season.

A genuinely competitive pre-season fixture that swung on special teams. Kiekko-Espoo’s sharp starts were undone by an inability to protect a lead, while Växjö’s experience and power-play execution — especially Rasmussen’s winner — proved the difference. Both sides will take useful data into their season openers.