Finland unveils roster for the Winter Olympics and leaves off injured captain Aleksander Barkov

By: The Associated Press Posted: 9:50 AM CST Friday, Jan. 2, 2026

Finland named its roster for the Winter Olympics in Milan on Friday, with 24 of the 25 players coming from the NHL.

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Finland named its roster for the Winter Olympics in Milan on Friday, with 24 of the 25 players coming from the NHL.

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Finland named its roster for the Winter Olympics in Milan on Friday, with 24 of the 25 players coming from the NHL.

The only one playing in Europe is defenseman Mikko Lehtonen, who was part of Finland’s gold-medal-winning team at the Beijing Games in 2022. Lehtonen has skated in eight games this season for Zurich.

Two-time Stanley Cup champion Aleksander Barkov is not on the team after undergoing surgery to repair torn ligaments in his right knee from an injury he suffered during Florida Panthers training camp. Montreal’s Oliver Kapanen was among those picked to fill that void after not participating in the 4 Nations Face-Off early last year.

Dallas Stars center Roope Hintz celebrates his goal during the first period of an NHL hockey game against the Anaheim Ducks Friday, Dec. 19, 2025, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

Much like the U.S. and Canada, the vast majority of Finland’s 4 Nations team is back for the Olympics, including all three goaltenders: Kevin Lankinen, Juuse Saros and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen. Urho Vaakanainen of the New York Rangers is the only one not returning and the only Finnish defenseman in the NHL not chosen.

Dallas and Florida are well-represented, even without Barkov. The Stars have four players, Miro Heiskanen, Roope Hintz, Esa Lindell and Mikko Rantanen, while the Panthers have three: Niko Mikkola, Eetu Luostarinen and Anton Lundell.