HELSINKI – Raimo Helminen will extend his world record number of national team games to 331 when he plays for Finland against the Czech Republic on February 7 at the LG Hockey Games.

The Finnish forward is gracefully playing out his incredible career with Ilves Tampere in the top league, but hasn’t been on the national team since the 2002-2003-season when he played in his 330th national team game for Finland – a world record for ice hockey.

One season prior to that accomplishment, Helminen took part in his sixth Olympic Winter Games also a record for a hockey player.

But Helminen – in his 12th straight season for Ilves since he left Swedish Malmo IF in 1996 – did not had thoughts about the national team before the Finnish head coach Doug Shedden nominated Helminen on Monday.

In all fairness, Helminen was not among Shedden’s initial selections for the tournament, but injuries to Riku Hahl and Mika Pyorala paved the way for Helminen.

The selection of Helminen carries more symbolic value than anything else. The centre has four goals and eleven assists in 42 games for Ilves this season, but the game is played in his hometown Tampere and it is seen as one last (?) farewell appearance for the popular player. He is not expected to join the team for the remaining tournament games in Stockholm, Sweden.

Some players on the Finnish squad for the LG Hockey Games were not born yet when Helminen played his first national team game in 1983. Helminen played in the NHL (Minnesota, N.Y. Islanders) 1987, 1988-89.

His greatest moment was winning the 1995 IIHF World Championship in Stockholm.