Finland will attempt to prove it against Sweden at Bell Centre on Feb. 15 (1 p.m. ET; ABC, ESPN+, SN, TVAS). With the first best-on-best tournament since the World Cup of Hockey 2016 that also includes the United States and Canada just two weeks away, Hallam and Lehtinen took part in a Q&A to provide an inside look at all things Sweden-Finland.

First off, Super Saturday on Feb. 15 features a doubleheader of historical rivals starting with Sweden-Finland followed by Canada-United States (8 p.m. ET; ABC, ESPN+, SN, TVAS). How big of a deal is that?

Hallam: “It’s going to be huge. I think hockey is the national sport of Finland, and no doubt the sport is a huge part of ours. We play each other in the World Championships, and it’s a big thing. We’re both going to have our best players going in this tournament so, like I said, it’s going to be huge. If you want to get to the (championship game at TD Garden on Feb. 20), this is a key game. And there’s going to be bragging rights, you better believe it.”

Lehtinen: “It’s going to be special. And like you said, 7 p.m. in Sweden, 8 p.m. in Finland, so it’s going to be the perfect time for fans back home. It’s going to be special because they’ll be able to watch it at a good time, not in the middle of the night there when a lot of NHL games are taking place back in North America with the time change. It’s going to be huge, with a lot of viewers. I’m not going to even guess how many people will be watching in Finland and Sweden but it’s going to be a lot.”

For those on this side of the Atlantic Ocean who don’t completely know the history and details of this rivalry, please explain what it’s like.

Hallam: “Look, we play each other a couple of times a year, whether it be at Worlds or different tournaments, and both teams put out their best and give their best whenever we match up. It’s part of the rivalry. There are rivalries in the NHL too. Rangers-Devils, games like that, it’s kind of the same thing. It doesn’t matter how things have been going for your team or what happened the previous night, all that matters is that particular game. But that’s on the ice. Off the ice, we respect the crap out of each other.”

Explain that respect.

Hallam: “The rivalry is on the ice. Like I said, off the ice, as Swedes, at least for me, I have a ton of respect for Finland as a country. The situation they’re in and have been in with bordering Russia and having to fight them off twice. There were a lot of Finnish kids who came to Sweden during the second World War to keep them safe and away from the war, so it’s a brotherly thing. You always have clashes with your brother, but you’re always looking out for each other’s backs as well. Hockey-wise, you always want to beat them. Some say in terms of the sport they’re the enemy and that’s true. At the same time, we share a border with them and respect them off the ice, like I said. At least I do.”

Lehtinen: “Hey, on our side too, it’s always been a big rivalry. Basically, when we play each other, it doesn’t matter if it’s exhibition games, the Worlds, Euro hockey tournaments, Olympics, World Cups, it’s huge. But, of course, we are neighboring countries, so it’s special, special moments when we play each other.”