Sat Jan 03 04:50:00 UTC 2026: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Finland and Sweden Announce Olympic Hockey Rosters, Featuring NHL Talent

[CITY, STATE] – [DATE] – Reigning Olympic gold medalist Finland has unveiled its men’s hockey roster for the upcoming Milan Cortina Games, drawing heavily from the National Hockey League. Of the 25 players selected, 24 currently compete in the NHL. However, the team will be without two-time Stanley Cup champion Aleksander Barkov, who is recovering from knee surgery. Montreal’s Oliver Kapanen will step in to fill the void. The sole European-based player on the Finnish squad is defenseman Mikko Lehtonen, a veteran of the 2022 gold medal-winning team, currently playing for Zurich. Notably, the goaltending trio of Kevin Lankinen, Juuse Saros, and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, is making the trip to the Olympics. The Dallas Stars and Florida Panthers are heavily represented, boasting four and three players, respectively.

Meanwhile, Sweden has revealed its roster, featuring goaltenders Jesper Wallstedt and Filip Gustavsson of the Minnesota Wild, along with Jacob Markstrom of the New Jersey Devils. Head Coach Sam Hallam has made several changes from the 4 Nations Face-Off roster, including goalies Linus Ullmark and Samuel Ersson, defenseman Mattias Ekholm and forward Viktor Arvidsson. New additions include Gabriel Landeskog, Philip Broberg, Pontus Holmberg, and Alex Wennberg. Veteran Gabriel Landeskog is one of the few players named that participated in the 2014 Sochi Olympics. Victor Hedman, initially named to the roster, is currently on injured reserve and out for the Olympics.

The Olympic hockey tournament is scheduled to begin in February.

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