The Finland Olympic team lineup for the Milano Cortina 2026 Games has been announced. They aim to defend their gold medal from the 2022 Beijing Olympics. Notably, this tournament will not feature NHL players. The team comprises many athletes from the recent Four Nations Confrontation, with some changes.
Key Absence and New Faces
Star forward Aleksander Barkov will miss the event due to a knee injury that will keep him off the ice for the entire 2025-26 season. However, several notable players will represent Finland in Milano. Eeli Tolvanen from the Seattle Kraken, Oliver Kapanen from the Montreal Canadiens, and Joel Kiviranta from the Colorado Avalanche are notable inclusions. These players did not participate in the Four Nations Confrontation earlier this year.
Defensive Strength
On defense, Mikko Lehtonen, who played for the Zurich Lions in the Swiss National League, is also part of the squad. Lehtonen has previous experience with the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Tournament Format
This year, NHL players will return to the Olympics for the first time since 2014. The 12 participating teams will play three preliminary matches within their groups. The top three teams from each group and the best second-placed team will advance to the quarter-finals. The remaining teams will compete in elimination matches to determine the final four quarter-finalists.
Finland’s Schedule
Finland is placed in Group B. Their match schedule includes:
- February 11: Finland vs Slovakia
- February 13: Finland vs Sweden
- February 14: Finland vs Italy
Finals Information
The gold medal match is scheduled for February 22. Finland aims to showcase their skills and compete fiercely for their second consecutive Olympic title.
Finland Olympic Team Lineup
The full Finnish roster for the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics is as follows (in alphabetical order):
- Eeli Tolvanen
- Oliver Kapanen
- Joel Kiviranta
- Mikko Lehtonen
- Aleksander Barkov (injured)
Fans eagerly anticipate the team’s performance as they gear up for the Olympics in February.
