Canucks goaltender Kevin Lankinen has won his first Olympic medal after Finland's 6-1 win over Slovakia in the 2026 Winter Olympic bronze-medal game.
The first medallist of the 2026 Winter Olympic men’s hockey tournament has been decided. Vancouver Canucks goaltender Kevin Lankinen has won his first Olympic medal with Finland’s 6–1 win against Slovakia earlier today. This comes after Finland suffered a surprising 4–1 loss to Slovakia at the beginning of the preliminary round.
It was Finland that got off to a lead, with Sebastian Aho opening the scoring in the first period of the game. Erik Haula followed things up with a goal in the second period, towards the midway point of the game, giving Finland a 2–0 lead just as they had against Canada the day before.
Things got interesting when Tomáš Tatar scored on Juuse Saros with less than 30 seconds remaining in the second period, with Slovakia following their late tally up with a couple of chances to try and even things up by the end of the window. However, Roope Hintz and Kaapo Kakko scored less than two minutes after one-another to put Finland up 4–1. Empty-net daggers by Joel Armia and Haula gave Finland a 6–1 lead to cement their bronze-medal win.
Lankinen did not end up playing at all during Finland’s 2026 Winter Olympic games, though he did dress both today and in the opening match against Slovakia.
Information shared ahead of today’s game also has an impact on some NHL teams. Dallas Stars forward Mikko Rantanen missed today’s game and is reported to have sustained a lower-body injury during Finland’s semi-final match against Canada. Martin Pospíšil of the Calgary Flames also missed today’s game.
Canada and the USA will play for gold tomorrow at 5:10 am PT.
Feb 21, 2026; Milan, Italy; Erik Haula of Finland celebrates with Joel Armia after scoring their second goal against Slovakia in the men's ice hockey bronze medal game during the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games at Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena. Mandatory Credit: James Lang-Imagn ImagesMake sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, don't forget to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum. This article originally appeared on The Hockey News.
Latest From THN’s Vancouver Canucks Site:
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.
The Hockey News