At Home on Canadian Ice

Moncton Wildcats defenceman Eerik Wallenius looks on during warm-up at the Avenir Centre in Moncton, N.B. (Credit: Josie Steeves)

The AV room lights clicked off behind me as I packed up my laptop after our media meeting had finally wrapped, long after most of the building had emptied. I headed down toward the exit where I parked, but I heard a loud echoing from a place that should’ve been asleep by now.

Halfway down the lower bowl, I recognized the sharp rhythm — stickhandling. Quick, clean taps, the sound bouncing off the concrete like someone was working in an empty gym. It didn’t make sense. The team had cleared out hours ago. There were no practices, no meetings, no reason for anyone to still be there.

Around the corner, outside the locker room hallway, there he was — Eerik Wallenius.

Headphones on, hat backwards, eyes locked on a heavy weighted ball dancing between his feet. His hands moved fast, calm, and automatic. They were the kind of reps you only put in when no one is watching, or at least when you think no one is watching.

He didn’t notice me there at first. He just kept going, tapping out a rhythm that said more about him than any scouting report ever could.

“What are you still doing here?” I finally asked.

He paused, the 6-foot-4-inch defenceman weighing in at 235 pounds lifted one earphone and looked at me like the answer should’ve been obvious.

“Practicing,” he said, nothing more.

When Eerik Wallenius left Finland to play hockey in Canada, he didn’t know what to expect. The move meant new teammates, a new language, and a new place to call home, thousands of kilometres away from the one he had grown up in. However, this was something he needed to make it to the next level.

The 19-year-old defenceman came to the Maritimes after being selected 54th overall in the 2025 CHL Import Draft by Moncton. The Import Draft — similar to the regular North American draft — takes place between all CHL teams to determine which young athlete from overseas gets selected. But this wasn’t the Finnish blue liner’s first trip to Canada. Wallenius had already spent time in the nation’s capital, taking part in the Ottawa Senators’ development camp after being drafted by them back in 2024. But this step with Moncton felt different to him.

This time, it wasn’t a week-long introduction to North American hockey; it was a full commitment to living, training, and competing on this side of the Atlantic, and as he explained—translating his thoughts from Finnish to English with a translation app on his phone — it’s been a bit of a rollercoaster for him.

“It’s been a journey full of highs and lows, but all of it has led me to this amazing opportunity,” Wallenius said. “There’s been a lot of learning and growing through different teams, and the Ottawa Senators really made this step possible for me.”

The camp with Ottawa gave him a glimpse of the North American style of play. The faster transitions, tighter spaces, and a never-ending intensity. Wallenius says those few days with the Senators made him realize that Canada and the NHL were where he wanted to be.

“It was a great experience,” he said. “Seeing the facilities, the pace of play, and how serious everyone is, it motivates you to work hard every day.”

Even with his drive to make it to the top, Wallenius’ game isn’t without flaws. The young shut-down defender plays a strong game on his own end, but it’s his transition work, and being able to consistently get the puck up ice needs work. Statistically, only 10 per cent of players from the QMJHL ever crack an NHL roster. That ends up being roughly 40 players per season. But long odds weren’t going to stop Eerik from pursuing his dream.

After meeting with Wildcats’ GM Taylor MacDougall this past off-season and discussing arrangements to join the team in Moncton, it was clear to Eerik that it was time to make the jump to junior hockey in Atlantic Canada. Wallenius knew this wasn’t just about hockey development; it was about personal development. So, he made sure to jump on the opportunity.

“In the end, the move was quite easy,” Wallenius said. “The biggest change is the language … I can’t speak Finnish at all here, but I think that’s a good thing because it helps me grow as a person.”

Eerik Wallenius skates during the Ottawa Senators’ development camp, getting his first taste of NHL-level competition after being drafted by the club in 2024. (Photo: CHL)

The adjustment to English communication has been one of the more challenging and rewarding parts of his move. In Finland, he could rely on subtle cues or quick Finnish phrases with teammates. In Moncton, everything has to be expressed in a second language, forcing him to think faster and communicate more clearly — both on and off the ice.

However, Wallenius says the transition was eased by how familiar parts of Atlantic Canada felt to him. The weather, the hockey, and even the small-town feel of Moncton reminded him of home. But there were still some surprises, especially off the ice.

“In Finland, hockey players don’t live with billet families; they usually live alone, with a friend, or with their own family,” he said. “I’ve lived on my own since I was 16, so it took a bit of adjusting to suddenly live with a family again.”

His billet family, which started as a bit of an adjustment to Wallenius, has since become a major part of his daily routine, helping him settle in with home-cooked meals, support, and laughter after long practices.

“They’ve really made me feel like part of their family,” he said. “We talk a lot after games, and they help me learn little Canadian things, like what to say, where to go, or what to eat.” 

Moncton Wildcats’ Eerik Wallenius sit with team members at Avenir Centre ahead of game time. (Photo: Josie Steeves)

After his first three months in Moncton, Wallenius has settled into the Atlantic Canadian life by picking up a few North American habits. He’s become a fan of the trending Crumbl Cookies, North American fast food, and the smaller ice surfaces that match his quick, puck-moving style of hockey.

In his free time, he says that he often spends time watching NHL games, studying NHL defensemen like Miro Heiskanen of the Dallas Stars and Thomas Chabot of the Ottawa Senators, and picking up tips from teammates about the QMJHL schedule and travel days.

“I really enjoy playing in the smaller North American rinks,” Wallenius said. “The pace suits my game better, and the atmosphere in the arenas is amazing.”

Whether it’s dinners with his billet family, conversations with teammates, or meeting fans around Moncton, Wallenius has started to experience what makes life in the Maritimes unique.

“The people here are super friendly and chatty, which is different from back home, but in a good way,” Wallenius said. “I’ve learned a lot of funny sayings, like ‘what’re we saying,’ and just small talk in general, we don’t really have that in Finland.”

For Wallenius, the move to Moncton has been about more than hockey. It’s been about growing up, adapting, and learning what it means to find home somewhere new. While he continues to adjust to life in the Maritimes, Wallenius says the people of Atlantic Canada have made a lasting impression on him.

“Atlantic Canada is a very warm and welcoming place, and the people are super nice,” he said. “The hockey culture here is incredible and unlike anything I’ve experienced before.”

And for a player and person who has already lived in two countries before turning 20, that sense of belonging might be the most important thing he’s found. As his season in Moncton continues with the Wildcats, Wallenius hopes to keep improving his game, contributing to the team’s success, and making the most of his North American experience, both as a hockey player and as a young man learning what it means to feel at home, even thousands of kilometres away from where his story began.