Nelli Laitinen has seen what Finland can do on hockey’s biggest stage. The defender helped her country grab bronze at the 2022 Olympics, chipping in seven points across seven games.

Now, with the 2026 Games in Milano Cortina just days away, she’s feeling good about what this year’s squad can accomplish.

“I’m super excited, it’s going to be fun to get back to international games,” said Laitinen. “We have a new coach, and we haven’t had that much experience with the whole team as a group. It’s going to be a very important couple of days before the games start, just to get back together as a group and have a couple of practices, and then just see how it goes. I’m feeling very confident with our group.”

That confidence comes from the roster Finland is bringing to Italy. The team blends veterans who’ve been there before with younger talent ready to step up. It’s the kind of mix that Laitinen thinks can do more than just compete for bronze.

“We have a great mix of older players like (Jenni) Hiirikoski and (Michelle) Karvinen, and also some new players coming in and taking the next step. It should be exciting,” Nelli Laitinen told The Hockey News.

Building momentum through the PWHL

Laitinen, who’s wrapping up her final season at the University of Minnesota with career-best numbers (10 goals, 28 points in 26 games), plans to join the PWHL next season. She’s not alone. Finland’s footprint in North America’s pro league keeps growing, and that’s becoming a real advantage for the national team.

Right now, four Finnish players are competing in the PWHL, including Michelle Karvinen in Vancouver, Susanna Tapani in Boston, plus Ronja Savolainen and Sanni Ahola both in Ottawa. 

But that’s just the start. Laitinen and three other top Finnish players in Petra Nieminen, Jennina Nylund and Viivi Vainikka are expected to be solid picks in the 2026 PWHL Draft. Ida Kuoppala and Emma Nuutinen could join them, and word is that veteran star Jenni Hiirikoski might even finish her career with a season or two in the league.

“Getting more players to the PWHL will help our national team as well, so we are able to challenge USA and Canada internationally in the future,” Laitinen said.

Playing against North America’s best week in and week out gives Finnish players the kind of competition that pays off when Olympic time rolls around.

No easy start

Finland has grabbed bronze at four of the sport’s seven Olympic tournaments, and they’re hunting for medal number five. But they won’t have time to ease into things in Italy.

The tournament starts on February fifth and Finland draws Canada in their opening game.

It’s a tough matchup right off the bat, but for a team looking to prove they can hang with hockey’s powerhouses, there’s no better way to make a statement. Under new head coach Tero Lehterä, Finland hasn’t had a ton of time together as a complete group yet, which makes those pre-tournament practice days crucial.

Still, Nelli Laitinen isn’t worried. She knows the challenges are real, but she also knows this roster has what it takes to bring home another medal and maybe push even higher than Finland has gone before.