Team Finland Announces 2026 Olympic Roster

Finland has become the second country to announce their Winter Olympic roster on Friday. The roster closely aligns to Finlan’d lineup at the 2025 4-Nations tournament, with some notable additions from across the hockey world. The full roster is as follows:

Forwards

• C Sebastian Aho (Hurricanes)
• RW Joel Armia (Kings)
• C Mikael Granlund (Ducks)
• C Erik Haula (Predators)
• C Roope Hintz (Stars)
• RW Kaapo Kakko (Kraken)
• C Oliver Kapanen (Canadiens)
• LW Joel Kiviranta (Avalanche)
• LW Artturi Lehkonen (Avalanche)
• C Anton Lundell (Panthers)
• C Eetu Luostarinen (Panthers)
• RW Mikko Rantanen (Stars)
• LW Teuvo Teravainen (Blackhawks)
• RW Eeli Tolvanen (Kraken)

Defense

• LD Miro Heiskanen (Stars)
• RD Henri Jokiharju (Bruins)
• LD Mikko Lehtonen (Zurich, National League)
• LD Esa Lindell (Stars)
• LD Olli Maatta (Mammoth)
• RD Nikolas Matinpalo (Senators)
• LD Niko Mikkola (Panthers)
• RD Rasmus Ristolainen (Flyers)

Goaltenders

• G Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen (Sabres)
• G Kevin Lankinen (Canucks)
• G Juuse Saros (Predators)

The biggest difference between Finland’s 4-Nations and Olympic rosters is the addition of star defenseman Heiskanen who was unhealthy for last year’s international tourney. He may be the country’s best representation on the NHL stage, offering top-level play on both sides of the puck. Heiskanen has 35 points in 41 NHL games this season and scored a career-high 73 points in 79 games in the 2022-23 campaign. He will be leaned on as a top player for the Finnish side, and could lead the team in average ice time.

Finland has also added Lehtonen and Canadiens rookie Kapanen – two interesting additions as the country looks to add a bit more bolt to their lineup. Lehtonen is a journeyman of international hockey. He has played in five different top leagues and recently found a home with Zurich SC of Switzerland’s National League, where he won a league championship in 2024 and 2025. He currently has 16 points in 32 games this season and offers downhill offense at the expense of robust defense. Centerman Kapanen has found similar downhill drive in his first NHL season. He has 12 goals and 21 points in 40 games for Montreal, with no signs of slowing down. Kapanen was a relevation as a young player in Finland’s Liiga, where he totaled 65 points in 124 games and three seasons.

The Finns will return their 4-Nations roster otherwise, set to lean heavily on Aho, Rantanen, and Hintz as the explosive pieces of an otherwise fundamental offense. It was Granlund who led that team in scoring, though, with four points in three games – double the scoring of Finland’s top offensive pieces.

Second and third on the 4-Nations team in scoring were Patrik Laine (three points) and Aleksander Barkov (two points) who will both miss the Olympic games due to injury. Barkov, one of the NHL’s premier two-way centers, had to undergo ACL and MCL surgery after a preseason injury. Laine is also on the mend after undergoing surgery in October.

With the slightly shorthanded roster, and brave additions of an NHL rookie and Swiss-league defender, the Finns will step up as a team to watch this tournament. They don’t seem to offer the firepower of Sweden, USA, or Canada but could surprise with a major defense addition supporting a goaltending room that struggled at the 4-Nations.