Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen closed out his Olympic tournament with hardware, helping Finland secure a bronze medal with a 6–1 victory over Slovakia.
Ristolainen logged 19:21 of ice time in the medal game, continuing his steady, grinding presence on Finland’s blue line. He also recorded an assist.
After a tightly contested semifinal loss against Canada, Finland responded with a composed and assertive effort, establishing momentum early and never allowing Slovakia to fully get into the game.
Throughout the tournament, Ristolainen was relied upon in key defensive situations, deployed in heavy minutes and using his straightforward, physical game to help Finland get on the podium.
The result sends Ristolainen back to Philadelphia as an Olympic medalist, where he could soon be joined by fellow defenseman Travis Sanheim and head coach Rick Tocchet, who will be playing for the gold medal against the United States on Feb. 22.