Team Finland rosters, key players & major storylines to watch

The 4 Nations Face-Off kicks off Thursday (Feb. 13) for Team Finland, marking a new era in international, best-on-best hockey action. Finland, a nation with a deep history and tradition of producing hockey greats, will be looking to capture its first best-on-best major tournament title.

Team Finland boasts a strong, deep lineup that any NHL head coach would drool over. The combination of size, speed, and skills is something head coaches envy in any player on their rosters.

So, it’s worth taking a closer look at the roster, key players, and major storylines to watch at the 4 Nations Face-Off for Team Finland.

Team Finland rosters, key players & major storylines to watch at 4 Nations Face-Off
Rosters

Let’s start by taking a look at Team Finland’s roster heading into the 4 Nations Face-Off:

Forwards (13)

Sebastian Aho, Carolina HurricanesJoel Armia, Montreal CanadiensAleksander Barkov, Florida PanthersMikael Granlund, Dallas StarsErik Haula, New Jersey DevilsRoope Hintz, Dallas StarsKaapo Kakko, Seattle KrakenPatrik Laine, Montreal CanadiensArtturi Lehkonen, Colorado AvalancheAnton Lundell, Florida PanthersEetu Luostarinen, Florida PanthersMikko Rantanen, Carolina HurricanesTeuvo Teravainen, Chicago Blackhawks

Defensemen (7)

Henri Jokiharju, Buffalo SabresEsa Lindell, Dallas StarsOlli Maatta, Utah Hockey ClubNiko Mikkola, Florida PanthersNikolas Matinpalo, Ottawa SenatorsJuuso Valimaki, Utah Hockey ClubUrho Vaakanainen, New York Rangers

Goalies (3)

Kevin Lankinen, Vancouver CanucksUkko-Pekka Luukkonen, Buffalo SabresJuuse Saros, Nashville Predators

Team Finland was forced to substitute three of its original blue liners, Miro Heiskanen, Rasmus Ristolainen, and Jani Hakanpaa due to injury leading up to the tourney.

The replacements are Urho Vaakanainen (for Heiskanen), Henri Jokiharju (Hakanpaa) and Nikolas Matinpalo (for Ristolainen).

Key players

The stacked Team Finland lineup is loaded with playmakers and high-end scorers. As such, key offense players Arturri Lehkonen and Mikko Rantanen could be game-breakers in any given situation. Rantanen, in particular, has the potential to break a game wide open with his size and skill.

Aleksander Barkov will be one of the star players to watch out for Finland at the 4 Nations Face-off. (Credits: IMAGN)

Aleksander Barkov, widely regarded as the best two-way forward in the game, will be in charge of shutting the opposition’s top players. If successful, his play could open the door for someone like Patrik Laine to use his unique skill set, especially his booming shot technique, to score goals.

Lastly, don’t overlook Juuse Saros. One of the best netminders in the world, Saros can shut down any team at any given point. Saros could steal a game for the Finns, potentially putting Canada, Sweden, or the United States on the ropes.

Storylines to watch

The biggest storyline for Finland is their desire to win a major best-on-best tournament. While the Finns have won World Championships and World Junior titles, they have lacked a major title to their credit. The closest Finland has gotten was a silver medal at the 2006 Turin Olympics.

So, Finland will be a team on a mission hoping to bring home the 4 Nations Face-Off title, delivering glory and satisfaction to a country that’s hungry to win its first major international title and set the table for the 2026 Olympics.

Edited by William Paul