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Olli Maatta, Team Finland (David Kirouac-Imagn Images)

Olli Määttä Focused on Olympic Success With Team Finland

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers
By Chase Beardsley | Last updated Jan 15, 2026 11:19 AM ET

There are plenty of players on the Utah Mammoth who have represented their country in various tournaments. Ones that come to mind are Dylan Guenther scoring the overtime winner for Team Canada in the 2023 World Juniors, and last summer when Clayton Keller captained Team USA to their first gold medal in the World Championship in 92 years.

However, there is only one player currently on the Mammoth who has represented his country on the highest stage. It’s an honor he did in 2014, but he’s also done it last season in the 4-Nations tournament. It’s been 12 years, but Olli Määttä will finally return to the Winter Olympics as he heads to Milano Cortina with Team Finland next February.

A Crucial Tournament for the Defenseman

Määttä was with his family when he got the call from Finland general manager Jere Lehtinen. Lehtinen has been well acquainted with Määttä, giving him a similar call in 2014 for the Sochi Olympics and, of course, last season for the 4-Nations tournament.

There’s a lot that’s changed in Määttä’s life since the last time he competed in the Olympics. In 2014, he was the youngest player for Finland. Now, he’ll be one of the oldest at 31 years old. Back in 2014, he was just beginning his NHL career. Since then, he’s won two Stanley Cups and has been on four different teams, including now the Mammoth who he signed a three-year extension last season.

However, there is something similar between where Määttä was in 2014 heading into the Olympics and now. He’s at a crucial point in his NHL career. Back in 2014, the Penguins ran into some big injuries on their blueline to Paul Martin and Rob Scuderi, which forced Määttä into a larger role. He took the new role in stride and excelled with the increased ice time, leading to a career high in goals (9) and points (29) that still stands to this day.

Now in 2026, Määttä finds himself in a big predicament. After coming over to Utah last season and becoming their best defensive defenseman, he was expected to be a big part of the blueline once again this season. However, he’s only appeared in 19 games, partially due to injury, and hasn’t appeared in a game since Dec. 16.

Mammoth head coach André Tourigny says the competition in the locker room is part of the reason why Määttä has been the odd man out. He credits the sudden rise of Nick DeSimone to the change on the blueline while defending Määttä.

“We have other guys who have played really well,” Tourigny said. “I think Olli was doing his thing, but we have guys like Nick DeSimone who have played above expected, and that creates a good competition inside our dressing room.”

With the Mammoth currently 5-1-1 in January, Tourigny won’t likely change his lineup dramatically, barring something crazy happening in the next couple of weeks. It’s highly unlikely that Määttä draws into the lineup before he heads to Italy, meaning the Olympics will be a big opportunity for him to prove he belongs in the NHL every night.

Finland Looking to Continue Winning Ways

If anyone knows what it’s like to play best-on-best hockey on the Mammoth, it’s Määttä. His one Olympic appearance was actually a good showing of how good he can be. In 2014, he had five points in six games for Finland as they won bronze over the United States, a game in which Määttä scored a goal.

The defenseman also appeared in all three games in last season’s 4-Nation Face-Off, recording two assists. Määttä says tournaments like that are super fun to be in, but you have to be ready to play.

“It’s some of the best hockey that’s been around in those games,” Määttä said. “It’s gonna be even better (in the Olympics). You just have to keep yourself ready. It really doesn’t change that it’s still hockey, but it’s fun.”

It’s even more fun for Määttä that his country has been sneakily good in hockey tournaments as of late. Since winning bronze in the 2014 Winter Olympics, the country won gold in the tournament in 2022, their first in history. Finland also won gold in the World Championship in 2019 and 2022 and silver in the tournament in 2016 and 2021. On top of all of that, the country has won gold in the World Juniors in 2016 and 2019, silver in 2022 and 2025, and bronze in 2021.

While the country placed last in the 4-Nations tournament, they did deal with quite a few injuries, including one of their best defensemen, Miro Heiskanen. Now, they’re fully reloaded (despite losing Aleksander Barkov to injury), heading into the 2026 Winter Olympics. Määttä finds himself back on a team that is pretty similar to the one he played on last season.

With star players like Mikko Rantanen, Sebastian Aho, and Heiskanen, Finland will be one of the heavyweights entering the Olympics. Määttä is excited for his country’s talent to be on full display in Milano Cortina to show the world that Finland is a hockey powerhouse.

“I honestly think we might have one of the best generations there is right now,” Määttä said. “You look at the top guys we got, it’s impressive how good these guys are in this league. They’re not only like midterm players, but they’re all elite players in this league. We have a lot of talent, and it’s exciting to see.”

Määttä says the team got pretty close during last season’s 4-Nation tournament, which will undoubtedly help their chemistry as they try to rebound after their last-place finish and defend their title as gold medalists at the Olympics.

Having such a strong team around him will definitely help Määttä as he projects to be in the top six for Finland. Of course, being on the Olympic roster is a big honor, but it also presents Määttä with a chance to show that he’s still the player he was last season and potentially even better. A good performance could encourage Tourigny to reward the defenseman with another shot at staying in the Mammoth’s lineup.

“I always say when you have the opportunity to play those high end game and those elimination games and play those really meaningful games where the pressure, the adrenaline, and all of it is on, I think that that builds your character, builds who you are as a person, and that pays off for everybody at the end,” Tourigny said. “I think it’s an unbelievable experience.”

A Big Opportunity on the Line

Määttä is excited and honored for the upcoming opportunity. Despite playing in multiple tournaments for Finland, including the Olympics in 2014, the chance to do it never gets old. It’s a dream to play in the Olympics. Now, Määttä looks to live out his next dream by winning his first gold medal in any tournament for Finland.

“They’re always exciting tournaments,” Määttä said. “It’s something you dream of when you grow up. Especially in Finland, you keep watching world championships, especially the Olympics. Some of the best memories I have are watching those games. So it’s a big thing for me.”

The Olympics in Milano Cortina will be one of the biggest tournaments in Määttä’s career. Not only will it be his chance to help his country win back-to-back gold medals in the Olympics, 12 years after his last appearance in Sochi, but it will also be a huge test to see if he can still be an established defenseman on the highest stage, including in the NHL. If he can play anything as he has in the past during best-on-best tournaments, it should be a productive and beneficial trip to Italy for Määttä.