Finland Unveils 2026 Winter Olympics Roster

Finland became the latest nation to unveil their official 2026 Winter Olympics roster.

Feb 13, 2025; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; [Imagn Images direct customers only] Team Finland forward Mikko Rantanen (96) looks on in warm-up before a game against Team USA during a 4 Nations Face-Off ice hockey game at Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images | David Kirouac-Imagn Images

The 2026 Winter Olympic Games have a pair of favorites heading into it. Canada and the United States are arguably the top two superpowers in global hockey competition. Still, countries like Finland believe they have what it takes to capture the gold medal in Italy this coming February.

Finland‘s pursuit of that gold medal officially kicked off with the announcement of their 2026 Winter Olympic Games roster. The nation finished fourth in the recent 2025 4 Nations Face-Off, but they have a strong chance to win the entire thing this time around

Shortly after the United States and Canada announced their official rosters, Finland joined the bunch and shared the group of men who will be pursuing that top prize this winter. The group is led by Carolina Hurricanes forward Sebastian Aho and a quartet of Dallas Stars players in Mikko Rantanen, Miro Heiskanen, Esa Lindell and Roope Hintz.

The roster for Finland at the #MilanoCortina2026 #WinterOlympics is here! 🇫🇮 pic.twitter.com/H6blKyxjGV

— NHL (@NHL) January 2, 2026

Two Surprise Omissions

The forward group is largely what was expected for Finland, aside from two surprise omissions. Montreal Canadiens sniper Patrik Laine was left off the team, as well as Carolina Hurricanes center Jesperi Kotkaniemi.

In their place is rookie Canadiens forward Oliver Kapanen. His first year in the NHL has been beyond impressive, and he takes the spot of two veteran players many projected to be on the team.

There's also the glaring and heavy absence of Florida Panthers and Finland team captain Aleksander Barkov. While he's progressing well after surgery to repair a torn ACL and MCL, he is nowhere close to being ready to return.

Dec 27, 2025; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Hurricanes center Sebastian Aho (20) looks on during the warmups before the game against the Detroit Red Wings at Lenovo Center. Mandatory Credit: James Guillory-Imagn Images | James Guillory-Imagn Images

Goaltending Battle?

The most intriguing position to monitor for Finland is their goaltending. The team selected Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen of the Buffalo Sabres, Kevin Lankinen of the Vancouver Canucks and Juuse Saros of the Nashville Predators as the trio that will backstop their gold-medal push.

Saros enters as the presumptive starter. He was their go-to goalie during the 4 Nations Face-Off, and he enters the tournament with the most NHL experience. But he's not the Finnish goaiie having the best stretch.

That honor belongs to Luukkonen. He's been limited due to injury, but during his 12 starts for the Sabres, he's looked excellent. He's compiled a record of 7-5-1 with a 2.46 goals-against average and a .903 save percentage. He's the only goalie on Finland's roster with a GAA below 3.00 and a save percentage above .900.

That gives Finland options, and a tough choice to make. Saros is the veteran who has played in a Stanley Cup Finals before, but Luukkonen is undoubtedly the hottest goalie on their roster. It will be interesting to monitor how they handle the goal crease when the Winter Olympics begin.

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