Team Finland Uncertain If They'll Play Canada After Illness Outbreak

The women's Olympic hockey tournament is scheduled to begin this afternoon, but Team Finland may not be able to take the ice. An illness outbreak has hit the Finnish roster just hours before their preliminary round matchup against defending champion Canada.

Clara Hanna reported that Finland isn't sure whether they'll have enough players available to compete in the 3:10 PM Eastern showdown at Milano Rho Ice Hockey Arena. The situation remains fluid with no timeline on when a decision will be made about whether the team can dress for the game.

The numbers paint a grim picture. Thirteen players are either sick or quarantining due to exposure to teammates who have fallen ill, leaving Finland's coaching staff scrambling to determine if they can meet the minimum roster requirements to play.

Olympic Debut in Jeopardy

Finland entered the Milan Olympics as a legitimate medal contender and the nation with the best chance to disrupt the traditional Canada-USA gold medal showdown. The team won bronze at the 2022 Beijing Games and has never captured Olympic gold despite four bronze medals in program history.

Their roster features a mix of Professional Women's Hockey League stars and European-based players who chose to stay in the SDHL to maintain top-line minutes. Key players like Petra Nieminen, Viivi Vainikka, Elisa Holopainen and Jennina Nylund form the core of a team that came to Italy with championship aspirations.

Team Finland isn’t sure whether they’ll have enough players available to play vs Canada tonight.

13 players are either sick or quarantining due to exposure to the sick players.

No timeline on when a decision will be made on if they can compete or not. @CBCOlympics #Olympics…
— Claire Hanna (@clahanna) February 5, 2026

Now those dreams hang in the balance as the illness threatens to derail Finland's tournament before it even starts. The preliminary round matters significantly in Olympic hockey, where seeding determines quarterfinal matchups and can make or break medal hopes.

What Happens Next

If Finland cannot dress enough players, they would likely be forced to forfeit their opening game against Canada. The defending champions cruised past Finland 11-1 in preliminary round play at the 2022 Beijing Olympics and come to Milan having won five of the seven Olympic women's hockey tournaments since the sport debuted in 1998.

Finland's preliminary schedule includes games against the United States on February 7, Switzerland on February 8, and Czechia on February 10. The team needs at least a top-four finish in Group A to advance to the quarterfinals.

The women's tournament marks the opening of Olympic hockey competition in Milan, with the men's tournament not beginning until February 11. Finland's situation creates uncertainty around whether the opening day of the Games' most anticipated event can proceed as planned.