How Finland finished
After being stunned by Switzerland in the quarterfinal, Team Finland finished the 2026 Winter Olympics ranked sixth. This year marked the first time that Finland failed to reach the semifinal, and the lowest overall ranking they’ve ever had in an Olympics. They’d previously finished fifth in 2014 and fourth in both 2006 and 2002, securing bronze every other year.
What went wrong
Lack of scoring
Finland had a lot of trouble finding the back of the net, and it was ultimately a contributing factor to their lack of success. Finland scored just three goals in the preliminary round, the fewest of any team in Group A or Group B. Perhaps even worse is that all three of those goals came in a single game—their lone win.
Finland was shut out in four of the five preliminary games, by the US, Czechia, Canada and Switzerland. That sort of offense is never going to cut it at the highest level of international hockey.
Overall struggles
Not being able to stir up any offense was one problem, but the defensive side of the game wasn’t quite there for them, either. Sanni Ahola finished the tournament with a 3.02 GAA and .881 save percentage in four games; Anni Keisala had a 2.05 GAA and .917 save percentage in one game.
Norovirus
We’ll never truly know how much of a factor it was or wasn’t, but Finland’s start at the Olympics was delayed due to a norovirus outbreak. About half of the team was either sick or quarantined, and their first scheduled game was postponed.
What went right
Special teams
I can’t say that there was anything particularly spectacular about Finland’s special teams, but they were middle of the road. The team finished the tournament fifth in both power play and penalty killing. They scored two goals with the advantage on 11 opportunities (18.18%) and killed 10 of 12 penalties (83.33%). Could’ve been better, but also, certainly could’ve been worse.
Schalin’s Olympic debut
In my preview, I mentioned Mercyhurst’s Julia Schalin, who was making her debut at the Olympics. The 20-year-old was the youngest player on Finland’s roster and did well to hold her own. She registered one assist and two penalty minutes. She also recorded five shots on goal while averaging 13:59 TOI.
Top 3 players
Sanni Vanhanen, forward
Finland may have struggled offensively as a whole, but 20-year-old Ohio State forward Sanni Vanhanen was one of their best. She led the team with two points in five games. She had three shots on goal and averaged 14:22 TOI per game. She also won 29 of 55 faceoffs taken, good for 16th among those who took draws in the tournament. Vanhanen is a freshman at Ohio State and has 22 points in 28 NCAA games this season.
Nelli Laitinen, defender
Minnesota Golden Gophers captain Nelli Laitinen carried a heavy workload for her national team at the Olympics. She averaged 22:34 TOI per game, most among Finnish skaters. Ronja Savolainen (21:14) was the only other skater to break the 20-minute mark. Laitinen finished the tournament with nine shots on goal. In her fourth year at Minnesota, Laitinen has 29 points in 28 games.
Elisa Holopainen, forward
Frölunda winger Elisa Holopainen never found the scoresheet, but it wasn’t for lack of trying. The 24-year-old led her team with 16 shots on goal in five games. She also averaged 15:43 TOI per game, fourth-most among Finnish forwards. Holopainen has 38 points in 34 SDHL games this season, leading her team in both goals and points.