More than half of the Finnish players who have suited up for an NHL game this season secured an invite to the 4 Nations Face-Off.
It’s true! The 23-man roster, announced Wednesday, was curated from an available pool of just 45.
They are the underdogs of the Feb. 12 to 20 tournament, as noted by goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, who attached an important qualifier to that statement: “But there’s some firepower, too.”
Yes, but even with 100-point man Mikko Rantanen and Stanley Cup-winning captain Aleksander Barkov and the stirring return of sniper Patrik Laine, the Finns pose a threat to the bigger names from bigger nations not because of their own growing star power.
It’s because they know exactly who they are.
Finns have been outpunching their weight at major international hockey tournaments for a couple of decades now. In the process, they’ve developed a unifying identity that gets passed from team to team no matter which names are stitched onto the backs of the Lions sweaters.
“In general, a Finnish player is a good team player,” said head coach Antti Pennanen.
Following what he described as a “long process” to finalize the 4 Nations roster with a management staff led by general manager Jere Lehtinen — “lots of meetings,” said Pennanen — the coach sketched out a vision for the team that could have been ripped directly out of the playbook of any of his predecessors.
“We have to have good defense,” Pennanen said. “I mean overall good defense, not just D-men. … We know that we don’t have too many (defensemen) who are playing in the NHL, but still we have a good back end. Strong and big, and they are able to play against top forwards.
“I think we have a chance and are able to be a committed team.”
In other words, the path they see through the USA, Canada and Sweden is paved through suffocation rather than trying to fight strength with strength. They will devise a patient gameplan and expect even their most talented forwards to stick to structure. They will lean on a blue line built with players ranging from 6-foot-2 (Miro Heiskanen, Olli Määttä) to 6-foot-7 (Jani Hakanpää). And they will place faith in three goaltenders who are all filling No. 1 roles in the NHL so far this season: Juuse Saros of the Nashville Predators, Kevin Lankinen of the Vancouver Canucks and Luukonen of the Buffalo Sabres.
“I would say it’s pretty solid throughout the lineup,” defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen of the Philadelphia Flyers said. “A lot of skill. A lot of speed. And then just good goaltending. I really think it’s a strong group of guys, and I can’t wait to get started.”
The Finns will need to score too, of course, and Laine’s selection can largely be chalked up to that need. He’s only played one NHL game in the calendar year 2024 after entering the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program last season and then suffering a knee sprain during training camp with the Montreal Canadiens in September.
However, Laine possesses a shot few in the world can match. He flashed it Tuesday while scoring in his Canadiens debut against the New York Islanders with a lethal wrister. What that can mean for the Finnish power play, in particular, helped earn him a spot on the roster despite the extended layoff.
“We know Laine, what he’s capable (of doing),” Lehtinen said. “Power play, what he can do there. And of course in a short tournament, the special teams are going to be a big part of that.
“Overall, there’s two months before the tournament starts so there’s a lot of games before then. I think it’s enough time to get him in a good game shape and playing well there.”
The Finns will find comfort in being able to roll out some of the best two-way centers in the world. That group is led by Barkov, a two-time Selke Trophy winner, and includes Sebastian Aho of the Carolina Hurricanes and Roope Hintz of the Dallas Stars.
Anton Lundell, the potential fourth-line center, is one of four members of this Finnish team who won a Stanley Cup alongside Barkov with Florida earlier this year and should be a notable depth contributor to look out for.
“We have lots of good leaders and characters,” Pennanen said.
“(That playoff experience brings) big value,” Lehtinen said. “You have a few who won and who have been in tough situations through their careers. It’s a quick tournament. You have to be ready right away and play good hockey if you want to succeed there.”
(Photo of Aleksander Barkov and Anton Lundell: Jason Mowry / Getty Images)
