Happy Hockey Friday! I’m Elisha Côté from The Ice Garden, and this week, I caught up with one of the PWHL’s most consistent and most entertaining blue liners: Ronja Savolainen.
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After a strong rookie campaign with the Ottawa Charge, Savolainen is back for Year 2 and eager to take her game to another level. We talked about adjusting to the North American style of play, reuniting with fellow Finn Sanni Ahola, and why Milan 2026 is always in the back of her mind.
Editor’s note: The following interview has been lightly edited for clarity.
Elisha Côté: You’re heading into your second season with the Charge. How are you feeling about going into Year 2?
Ronja Savolainen: Yeah, obviously, I’m pumped. Going into my first year, I didn’t have that much expectation on myself. I just wanted to come there and I can learn, it’s a different league and you play against the best players. Now you kind of know how everything works, so I’m more prepared. I think I had a good first year and I know I have a lot more to improve, give to the team and show myself too. So yeah, I’m super pumped and I just want to show all the people around that I can play better and, just like have fun there. I’m super super excited to go into Year 2.
EC: What did you notice was the biggest transition between playing in Europe and coming over to Canada?
RS: The smaller rink changes everything. It’s so much faster here, and the physical side is way more intense. You’re playing the best players in the world every night, it’s like playing Team Canada or Team USA over and over again. In Europe, you might have two or three tough games, and then you play teams where it’s like 10–0. You never get that here. Every game is unpredictable and tight. That’s what makes it so exciting.
EC: Sanni Ahola told me you texted her right after the draft. How excited are you to have another Finn on the team?
RS: So excited! I talked to her even before the draft and said it would be so nice if she came here. She’s a great goalie with so much more to give, and I think she’ll learn a lot here. And for me, it’s just nice to have someone I can speak Finnish with. We can talk about other players in our own language… just joking! (laughs) But seriously, it’s good to have someone who gets your culture, your language, and who you can talk to if anything happens outside of hockey. I’m sure we’ll get even closer this year.
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EC: The 2026 Olympics are coming up fast. What would it mean for you to represent Finland for the third time?
RS: That’s always a dream come true. For me it’s the biggest thing you can achieve in hockey. It’s always an honor to wear the Finnish jersey, and Milan is closer to home, so my family could come watch. That would mean everything. I’ve been dreaming of that since I was a kid. I’m going to do everything I can to be ready and show our new national team coach that I belong. I want to be a big part of the team and make sure we achieve something big there too.
EC: How would your teammates describe you off the ice?
RS: I think they’d say I’m positive. I’m always smiling and trying to have fun. Sometimes I’m kind of a clown, it depends who I’m with. But also when it’s time to go, I give everything I have. But outside of hockey, I’m just a person who’s smiling and having fun.
EC: How has your overall experience in Canada been, both on and off the ice?
RS: It was a big change, moving so far away from family and from my fiancée, even though she’s in the league too. But after a couple months, I adjusted. My teammates made me feel so welcome. We had such a good group, and that made the season amazing. The fans, too. Like, they showed up for us every game—win or lose—and gave us so much support. You just want to give that love back. That’s part of why I think our ending to the season was so strong. I can’t wait to come back.
EC: Last question—if you weren’t a professional hockey player, what would you be doing right now?
RS: Oh, that’s a hard one. Probably something like CrossFit. I like to do a workout where I die everytime. So I think CrossFit games would be something I would be doing for sure.
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