2025 Worlds Report Card: Finland

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What an odd tournament for Finland. It’s hard to argue with the place on the podium, but the Naisleijonat certainly didn’t take the easy route to their bronze medal.

Offense l B

Finland scored 15 goals in seven games played, the same number they scored in 2024. Defender Ronja Savolainen won the team’s scoring race with six points (three goals, three assists). We love a defender who can rip it up on both ends of the ice, but Finland gets docked here for having a defender take the top placement. Some of their most potent forwards, like Petra Nieminen and last year’s leading scorer Susanna Tapani, had relatively quiet tournaments while Viivi Vainikka only played two games due to injury.

That said, Noora Tulus came into this tournament with something to prove after being criminally underutilized by the PWHL’s New York Sirens, and her four assists show just how misused she’s been. Forward Elisa Holopainen, who we listed as a player to watch in our Finland preview, continued her stellar season with three goals in seven games, the most by any Finnish forward. Her five points put her second in team scoring.

Jenniina Nylund made a jump after last year’s tournament, where she went scoreless. She scored the overtime game winner against Czechia, which honestly was the most important goal of the tournament, and it was nice to see her name on the scoresheet here and there this time around.

Defense l C

Two blowouts at the hands of Canada and the United States doesn’t look stellar for a team that wants to compete with the North American juggernauts. Finland missed the injured Jenni Hiirikoski on the blue line, and it showed. They’ve relied on her for so long that her presence feels like a given, but she’s 38 years old and this tournament was a chance for this defense corps’ next generation to really step up. Unfortunately, they didn’t quite manage.

Finland allowed 15 goals in the group stage and 13 more after that. For a team known for solid defense, it just seemed like too much to allow. Even in the bronze medal rematch against the home ice Czechs, the Naisleijonat were down 3-0 until blue liner Elli Suoranta opened her team’s scoring.

All isn’t lost, though: they had some good defensive numbers such as recording 22 blocks against Sweden in the quarterfinals and even 28 blocks against Canada in the semifinals. Too many goals were still allowed after the group stage and that is something Finland should take note of moving forward.

I will give them an uptick in their grade because of Savolainen. She shined with her six points in seven games. A lot of offense came from her and I don’t know if Finland would have gone as far as they did if not for Savolainen. 

Goaltending l C

Finland had three great choices in net. Veteran presence with both Sanni Ahola and Anni Keisala, and the chance to give a young goalie in Emilia Kyrkkö the chance to gain more experience on the international level after taking part in the Euro Hockey Tour during the holidays.

Things didn’t start off quite so well for the goalies when the tournament opened. Ahola allowed seven goals in the first game while Kyrkkö got the start against Canada in game two and was pulled after a period of play for Keisala, who made 21 of 22 saves. OK, not great. The goaltending then got figured out.

Ahola started against Czechia where she allowed two goals and made 27 saves. She faced Sweden in the quarterfinals making 13 saves while allowing two goals. Then she started the Bronze medal game, and though it started off terribly with three goals allowed early, she stood tall to keep Finland in the game.

One thing that stood out is that Finland didn’t look at Kyrkkö and write her off for having to pull her in her first start. They still gave her chances. She started the game against Switzerland, where she allowed only one goal, and then they threw her back out into the deep end to face Canada again—but in the semifinals this time. That didn’t end well, but it’s the coaching staff’s ability to not shy away from adversity that will make their players better, especially with someone like Kyrkkö who can use this experience to improve for future appearances in international play and even in college.

MVP(s)

What a tournament for Ronja Savolainen. Finland probably wouldn’t have made it as far without her presence. Credit has to be given to Jenniina Nylund as well; her overtime goal against Czechia sealed the team’s 15th bronze medal.