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Yahoo
06-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Predicting Finland's 2026 Women's Hockey Olympic Roster
As good as Canada and USA are, Finland can hang close in this department. They have the veteran punch of Susanna Tapani, Petra Nieminen, Michelle Karvinen, Ronja Savolainen, and Noora Tulus. Finland also boasts an impressive group of up and comers like Viivi Vainikka, Elisa Holopainen, Sanni Vanhanen, Sanni Rantala, Sofianna Sundelin, and Julia Schalin, along with solid support from Emilia Vesa, Ida Kuoppala, Jenniina Nylund, and Julia Liikala. It's unknown whether long time captain Jenni Hiirikoski will continue to compete following an illness that plagued her much of last season and kept her from the 2025 World Championships. The team held their first preparatory camp in June with all eyes on the 2026 Olympics in Milano Cortina. Advertisement Finland will go head-to-head with Czechia as bronze medal favorites, and always have an upset on their mind. Who will be in net in 2026? Sanni Ahola is the leading contender to be Finland's starter. She had the role at the 2025 Olympics before Finland tried to bounce between other goaltenders. In the end, youngster Emilia Krykko stole some time, but Ahola, who is headed to the PWHL to play with the Ottawa Charge, is likely going to get every opportunity to carry Finland in 2026. Krykko will be the starter at St. Cloud State and will have plenty of reps under her belt in the challenging WCHA as well. The other netminders in contention are University of Maine's Kiia Lahtinen and veteran Anni Keisala. The Picks: Sanni Ahola, Emilia Krykko, Kiia Lahtinen Advertisement Defensive Questions Remain For Finland If there is one significant question mark for Finland, it's their blueline. Ronja Savolainen and Nelli Laitinen are the anchors, along with Sanni Rantala. If Jenni Hiirikoski can squeeze a final Olympics out of her body, it will give Finland a formidable top four that can compete. Hiirikoski however, did not attend Finland's camp in June. At the moment, Finland needs to proceed as if Hiirikoski won't be playing. Beyond this group, Finland needs to examine who is best prepared to face the strongest Olympic competition women's hockey has ever seen. Expect Siiri Yrjölä to take a step forward in her role with Finland as she enters her second NCAA season at St. Cloud State. Finland should consider bringing back Sini Kajalainen for her veteran experience, including facing North American talent, but she hasn't played for Finland since 2023. Elli Suoranta saw quality minutes at the 2025 World Championships and played well, but until she leaves Finland's Auroraliiga for stiffer competition, there will be question marks. Krista Parkonnen and Oona Koukkula are other candidates, with Parkonnen having significant NCAA experience, and Kuokkula potentially drawing more responsibility entering her second season in the SDHL at only 21. Finland has shuffled their deck so many times at the back end that Ada Eronen and rising Tuuli Tallinen may crack the lineup. The Picks: Ronja Savolainen, Nelli Laitinen, Sanni Rantala, Siiri Yrjola, Elli Suoranta, Oona Koukkula, Sini Karjalainen, Tuuli Tallinen. Elisa Holopainen - Photo @ Heikki Löfman / Suomen Jääkiekkoliitto Flashy Forwards Finland's Key Finland's forward group is strong. It's the key to their roster that keeps them a step ahead of the rest of the world, and nipping at the heels of Canada and USA. Susanna Tapani and Michelle Karvinen will be battle ready from the PWHL, and Noora Tulus brings a season of PWHL experience to Finland's roster whether she returns to the league or not. Add in Petra Nieminen, who could step into any top six in the PWHL today with her physical, power forward game, Viivi Vainikka who will soon join the PWHL through the 2026 Draft, and the reigning SDHL leading scorer in Elisa Holopainen, and this group has it all. But it certainly does not stop there. Sanni Vanhanen is headed to Ohio State, Jenniina Nylund is an NCAA experienced forward who has been strong in the SDHL and could challenge for a PWHL roster spot next year, and NCAA players like Julia Schalin and Sofianna Sundelin took huge steps forward last year. With the support of veterans Emilia Vesa, Ida Kuoppala, and Julia Liikala, this group is beyond 12 deep. Finland might be wise to lean into more players with NCAA experience like Sofia Nuutinen, Oona Havana, and Nea Tervonen for depth, but they could also give one of their final spots to Emma Ekoluoma who got a sniff at Worlds. Advertisement The Picks: Susanna Tapani, Michelle Karvinen, Noora Tulus, Petra Nieminen, Viivi Vainikka, Elisa Holopainen, Sanni Vanhanen, Jenniina Nylund, Julia Schalin, Sofianna Sundelin, Emilia Vesa, Ida Kuoppala, Julia Liikala, Sofia Nuutinen. Finland's Potential Olympic Roster Elisa Holopainen - Susanna Tapani - Petra Nieminen Michelle Karvinen - Noora Tulus - Viivi Vainikka Sanni Vanhanen - Jennina Nylund - Emilia Vesa Julia Schalin - Sofianna Sundelin - Ida Kuoppala Julia Liikala - Sofia Nuutinen Ronja Savolainen - Sanni Rantala Nelli Laitinen - Siiri Yrjola Sini Karjalainen- Elli Suoranta Oona Koukkula - Tuuli Tallinen Sanni Ahola - Emilia Krykko - Kiia Lahtinen
Boston Globe
09-04-2025
- Sport
- Boston Globe
US routs Finland, 7-1, in opener at women's hockey world championship
Petra Nieminen scored the lone goal for Finland on a power play. Related : Scamurra put the Americans 1-0 up 2:44 into the game on a rebound and doubled the advantage moments later. Pannek increased the lead to 3-0 from the slot in the first period as the Americans stormed the ice early and she finished off the rout with her second goal in the final period. Advertisement Defenseman Stecklein, who took the past year off to focus on her PWHL career, marked her return with a goal from a backhand shot in the second period. Earlier, Sweden defeated Germany 5-2 in their opening game in Group B. Hanna Thuvik scored the first goal of the tournament 10:34 into the opening period for Sweden. Mira Hallin doubled the lead midway through the second in a Group B game. Luisa Welcke reduced the German deficit to 2-1 in the second period before Anna Kjellbin and Thea Johansson both scored in the third for Sweden. Emily Nix netted in the third for Germany on a power play with Hanna Olsson finishing off the five-goal Swedish tally by scoring into an empty net. Advertisement The host Czech Republic — bronze medalists twice in the last three tournaments — plays Switzerland in Group A later Wednesday. The US and defending champion Canada are the tournament favorites, continuing a long-standing cross-border rivalry. Canada has won 13 world titles followed by the U.S. with 10 spanning the previous 23 championships. Finland is the only other team apart from Canada and the U.S. to reach the final, doing so in 2019. Canada opens its title defense against Finland on Thursday. The 12-day, 10-nation tournament in the southern Czech city of Ceske Budejovice represents the final major international tune-up before the 2026 Winter Games in Italy. The teams are divided into two groups for a preliminary round. All five teams from Group A and the top three from Group B qualify for the playoffs. The bottom two from Group B, which also features Japan, Norway and Hungary, are relegated.
Yahoo
17-02-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
SDHL Playoff Preview: Luleå vs Skellefteå
First place Luleå will look to win yet another SDHL title. To do so, they'll need to get through upstart Skellefteå first. Here's a look at their opening round SDHL playoff series. In the first round of the SDHL playoffs, which begin on Wednesday, regular season champions Luleå will face off against league newcomers Skellefteå. On paper, Skellefteå is outmatched; they dropped all four contests they played against Luleå this season, and were outscored by a combined 18-6. Luleå boasts five of the league's top 15 scorers and tallied 160 goals this season, 64 more than their eighth place opponents, Skellefteå. Petra Nieminen won the league's scoring title, with 45 points (25g, 20a). No SKE player hit the 30 point mark. Indeed, six of Luleå's players scored more than their opponent's top scorer. Luleå seems to only go from strength to strength: imports Sarah Bujold and Savannah Norcross, though added later in the season, immediately made an impact, each tallying 18 points in 14 and 13 games played respectively. The reigning SDHL champs unsurprisingly led the league in power play success rate at 29.4% and penalty killing at 94.3%. Despite Luleå's undeniable might, Skellefteå has reason to believe. The newest SDHL team has battled hard all season, and celebrated upset wins against both Frölunda and MoDo. They secured a playoff spot despite being docked wins and points in the standings when they league determined they had dressed too many imports for games in the first half of the season. Finnish wing Ida Kuoppala and Dane Nicoline Söndergaard Jensen have been heating up, with 11 and nine points respectively in the team's last ten games. Goaltender Camryn Drever has played exceptionally all season, her first in Sweden after a standout career at the University of Saskatchewan. Finns Aino Karppinen and Sini Karjalainen have shown flashes of brilliance, while Marah Wagner, Mikayla Lantto and young Nikita Bergmann have shown no fear (and a high degree of swag) against some of the league's fiercest opponents. Skellefteå will eventually succumb, but not without putting up a Prediction: Luleå wins series 3-0
