The Olympic Winter Games are only a few months away. And although the final rosters for the men’s hockey teams at the 2026 Games aren’t going to be finalized for quite some time, we can still use these summer months to debate and discuss every prominent team at the next Winter Games.
We’ve been doing exactly that this week, first when we looked at Team Canada, then we focused on Team USA. Team Sweden was examined next. And now, we’re putting Team Finland in the spotlight.
The Finns have earned their reputation as a plucky bunch capable of upsetting teams they don’t match up well with on paper. And that could be true again at the 2026 Games. So here’s The Hockey News’ projected 25-man Finland roster. Injuries and/or sub-par play in the near future could influence Finland’s final roster decisions – but these are our picks to play for the Finns:
Team Finland Projected Roster
Forwards: Sebastian Aho (C), Aleksander Barkov (C), Roope Hintz (C), Mikael Granlund (C), Artturi Lehkonen (LW), Anton Lundell (LW), Teuvo Teravainen (LW), Jesperi Kotkaniemi (LW), Mikko Rantanen (RW), Patrik Laine (RW), Eeli Tolvanen (RW), Kaapo Kakko (RW)
Extras: Erik Haula (LW), Eetu Luostarinen (LW)
The Breakdown: The Finnish forwards are led by legitimate stars in Carolina’s Sebastian Aho, Florida’s Aleksander Barkov, Dallas’ Roope Hintz and Anaheim’s Mikael Granlund – their top-four centers.
And while there are additional difference-makers in other parts of Finland’s forwards group – most notably, Dallas’ Mikko Rantanen and Montreal’s Patrik Laine – the Finnish team doesn’t have the depth that Olympic gold co-favorites Canada and the USA have. The Finns can boast of a strong two-way game with Barkov, Hintz and Rantanen in particular being strong in their own zone.
Team Finland may not be as deep and flashy up front as other Olympic teams are, but their fundamentals are never in doubt, and this proposed Finnish team could be determined and talented enough to pull off a major upset.
Defensemen: Miro Heiskanen (L), Esa Lindell (L), Niko Mikkola (L), Rasmus Ristolainen (R), Olli Maatta (L), Henri Jokiharju (R)
Extras: Urho Vaakanainen (L), Juuso Valimaki (L)
The Breakdown: Despite having Dallas superstar Miro Heiskanen leading the way, the Finnish defense corps is the main weakness of this team. We’re not suggesting there’s no considerable skill from these eight blueliners, but the dropoff in effectiveness is considerable once you get past their top three D-men.
With backchecking help from forwards like Barkov and Hintz, Finland’s defense corps won’t have to bend over backwards to thwart offensive attacks from the opposition. But don’t fool yourself – teams like the U.S., Canada and Sweden are all going to push the Finnish defenders and try breaking them down.
And if any of Finland’s top-six defensemen are injured and can’t play, adding Utah’s Juuso Valimaki and/or the New York Rangers’ Urho Vaakanainen will further dilute the overall effectiveness of Finland’s defense. Team Finland is famous for its all-around attention to detail, but they’ll have to be at their best if they’re to turn away extremely skilled players on other teams.
Goaltenders: Juuse Saros, Kevin Lankinen, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen
The Breakdown: Like his Nashville Predators teammates, Saros had a sub-par season in 2024-25, posting an .896 save percentage. Saros was benched at the 4 Nations Face-Off in favor of Vancouver’s Kevin Lankinen. So while Saros may get the first kick at the can as the starter at the 2026 Olympics, we wouldn’t be at all shocked to see the Finns turn to Lankinen once again.
The third option in net for Team Finland is Buffalo’s Luukkonen, but he also struggled last season, putting up an .887 SP and 3.20 goals-against average while losing his starter’s job with the Sabres to journeyman James Reimer. If Luukkonen does get a chance to redeem himself, it will mean that Saros and Lankinen have failed to be a positive difference-maker.
If none of Saros, Lankinen and Luukkonen make the starter's job their own, the Finns will need an even tighter defensive game plan if they’re to get to the Olympic medal podium. Finland will have to be just about perfect to win gold, but that’s not out of the realm of possibility.
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