Viivi Vainikka is one of the most skilled forwards moving over from the SDHL (the Swedish league), coming off a championship win and a playoff MVP award with Brynäs IF.
| Position | Forward — LW |
| Shoots | Left |
| Height | 166 cm (5’5”) |
| Weight | 63 kg (139 lbs) |
| Date of Birth | December 23, 2001 (Age 24 at draft) |
| Nationality | Finland 🇫🇮 |
| Current Club | Brynäs IF — SDHL |
Recent Statistics
Sources: eliteprospects.com and sdhl.se. SDHL stats are not directly comparable to PWHL competition.
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | PTS | PTS/GP | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024–25 | Luleå HF | SDHL | 36 | 18 | 26 | 44 | 1.22 | 6 |
| 2025–26 | Brynäs IF | SDHL | 36 | 11 | 29 | 40 | 1.11 | 4 |
Who Is Vainikka?
From Espoo, Finland, Vainikka began playing in the Naisten Liiga (the Finnish league, now called the Auroraliiga) at the age of 15. After four seasons with Team Kuortane and 129 points in 112 games, she moved to Sweden and joined Luleå HF for the 2020–21 season.
Over five seasons with Luleå, Vainikka registered 203 points in 172 games. In 2023–24, she scored a career-high 52 points (23 goals, 29 assists), good for second in the league. The forward helped her team to four straight championship titles.
For the 2025–26 season, Vainikka signed with Brynäs IF, earning 40 points in 36 games. Brynäs won their first SDHL title, and Vainikka was named Playoff MVP after tallying seven goals and six assists in 10 games, including the championship-winning goal. She and linemate Noora Tulus were an unstoppable force for Brynäs.
Vainikka was part of the Finnish national team that captured silver at the 2019 Women’s World Championship (WWC), and she also has three WWC bronze medals. At the 2022 Olympics, Vainikka registered two goals and an assist to help her team to bronze.
What Vainikka Brings to the Table
The Finnish forward is fast and creative in tight spaces—she’s a player anyone would want on their line.
- Puck protection: Despite her slightly smaller frame, she’s excellent at using her body to protect the puck in the corners and below the goal line (thanks to Natalia for this observation).
- Playmaking: She led the SDHL with 29 assists, and two of her frequent linemates—Noora Tulus and Hanna Thuvik—finished in the top-six in goals.
- Skill in small spaces: She’s adept at scoring goals from in tight or just at the top of the crease.
Areas to Develop
All SDHL players have to adapt to a faster game on a smaller ice surface. We’ve seen that success in the Swedish league is not always transferable. Tulus, her longtime teammate, led the SDHL with 61 points in 36 games the season before she moved to the PWHL but didn’t have much success in North America. (Tulus returned to the SDHL this past season.) However, Vainikka’s strengths, as mentioned above, should put her in a good position to join the PWHL.
Where Could She Land?
Natalia’s ranking puts her at eighth. Vainikka would be a good fit on a team that needs a playmaker who can also score, like Ottawa or Montréal. Certainly Vancouver and Seattle could benefit from Vainikka’s skill, but both teams would have to take a different approach to their draft picks in order to deploy Vainikka effectively.
The Bottom Line
I would put Vainikka in the top 10 forwards, but PWHL general managers may be a little more hesitant to take SDHL talent so high given that the transition has been generally more difficult for these players. She could go early in the second round, at the latest.
PDub Hockey 2026 PWHL Draft Profiles
Caroline Harvey | Abbey Murphy | Tessa Janecke | Laila Edwards | Lacey Eden | Kirsten Simms | Nelli Laitinen | Viivi Vainikka
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