Finland | USA Exchange History & 25th Anniversary
In 2024, we celebrated our 25th anniversary of the Finland | USA Exchange. The Viikingit team came to Havertown not only for a 3-day hockey tournament, but also for fun activities like visits to downtown Philadelphia and New York City, a Flyers game (even getting to skate on the ice before the game), bowling, some even went to school with our Hawks players, lots of eating and of course, MORE HOCKEY!!
Host families from the Haverford Hawks have 2-3 Viikingit players stay with them during their time here. These young hockey players learn not only about how Finland plays hockey but they learn about their culture and the Viikingit players learn about how we do hockey in Delco and our culture, like Wawa and cheesesteaks.
A brief history of the program
It all started in 1998...
That year, the Rinta-Panttila family had moved from Helsinki, Finland to Philadelphia and Antti Rinta-Panttila played his first season for the Haverford Hawks PeeWee B team.
At Christmas break, the Rinta-Panttila family hosted one of Antti’s Finnish hockey friends for the holiday week. The boys, along with several other Haverford Hawks players, played in a local school tournament. While watching the tournament, Hawks’ parents John Wert and Pertti Rinta-Panttila wondered what it would be like to invite Antti’s entire team, the Viikingit Hockey Club of Helsinki, to the U.S. for the Hawks’ annual end-of-season tournament.
25 years later it is still going strong!
Thank you to our sponsors
History of the exchange
It Started in 1998…
That year, the Rinta-Panttila family had moved from Helsinki, Finland to Philadelphia and Antti Rinta-Panttila played his first season for the Haverford Hawks PeeWee B team.
At Christmas break, the Rinta-Panttila family hosted one of Antti’s Finnish hockey friends for the holiday week. The boys, along with several other Haverford Hawks players, played in a local school tournament. While watching the tournament, Hawks’ parents John Wert and Pertti Rinta-Panttila wondered what it would be like to invite Antti’s entire team, the Viikingit Hockey Club of Helsinki, to the U.S. for the Hawks’ annual end-of-season tournament.
The Haverford Hawks Ice Hockey Club has served its players and families for over 25 years through the Haverford Hawks Finland | USA Exchange. This exceptional cultural exchange program provides local children with a unique opportunity to learn about and experience Finnish culture while playing the sport they love.
The Hawks is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization that teaches children ages 4 to 18 the sport and spirit of hockey. The Hawks have been an important part of the Havertown community since 1975, providing children in our area with a great opportunity to learn the importance of dedication, teamwork, and sportsmanship.
The goal of the Exchange is to harness our children’s love of hockey and use it to develop friendships with like-minded children from across the ocean. Over the years, many of the bonds built through the Finland | USA Exchange have become life-long friendships. These friendships inspire a curiosity for travel and learning and provide an education far beyond what they can learn on the ice or in their classrooms.
In 2024 the Haverford Hawks Ice Hockey Club celebrated the 25th Anniversary of the Finland | USA Exchange. This exceptional cultural exchange program provides local children with a unique opportunity to learn about and experience Finnish culture while playing the sport they love. This program has been featured on the local news, in USA Hockey Magazine, and recently in SAM magazine in Finland. Haverford Township has recognized the significance of this program with their support and annual proclamations. Long after the exchange is over, the friendships