Two Utah HC Players Competing In 4 Nations Face-Off

With the 4 Nations Face-Off officially starting tonight, Feb. 12, at 6 p.m. MST, it'll be another 10 days til Utah HC's matchup against the LA Kings takes place.

So for any Utah fans eager to see if the team can erase the six point deficit in the standings to capture that final wild card spot, currently held by the Vancouver Canucks, the 4 Nations break may come at an inconvenient time.   

But that doesn't mean there's nothing to root for. In fact, Utah has two of its own representatives in the Face-Off, with both Olli Määttä and Juuso Välimäki playing for Finland.

Määttä and Välimäki are two of the seven defensemen playing for Finland in this upcoming Face-Off. They are also two of the three Finnish players on Utah's roster, with forward Matias Maccelli being the third.

This won't be the first time Määttä or Välimäki has played for their country.

Määttä has played for Finland twice: once at the World Junior Championship and again when he helped Finland win a bronze medal at the 2014 Olympics.

Meanwhile for Välimäki, he served as Finland's captain at the 2018 IIHF World Junior Championship.

With the 4 Nations Face-Off likely to be a one-time event due to upcoming Olympic events and the eventual World Cup of Hockey, this could be the only opportunity for both Määttä, Välimäki, and all of Finland's roster to take home the trophy.

Catch both of them tomorrow, Feb. 13, at 6 p.m MST when Finland takes on the United States