MILAN, Italy – Finland secured the bronze medal in men’s ice hockey at the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026, defeating Slovakia 6-1 at Santagiulia Arena. The victory marks Finland’s fifth Olympic medal in the six Games that have included NHL players, a record for any nation in that timeframe. They previously claimed silver in 2006 and bronze medals in 1998, 2010, 2014, and now 2026.
The Finns, rebounding from a heartbreaking 3-2 semifinal loss to Canada, pulled away with a dominant four-goal third period. Erik Haula led the offensive charge with two goals, while Joel Armia contributed a goal and two assists. Roope Hintz and Kaapo Kakko also found the back of the net, and Juuse Saros was solid in goal, stopping 30 shots.
“Obviously, really cool having an Olympic medal,” Saros said. “We wanted to win this tournament, but obviously cool to bring something home.”
Finland had entered the tournament without Aleksander Barkov, a key player for the Florida Panthers, and also lost Mikko Rantanen to injury prior to Saturday’s game. Despite these absences, the team demonstrated resilience and depth, showcasing the strength of its NHL-stocked roster.
The game began as a tighter contest. Sebastian Aho opened the scoring for Finland at of the first period, capitalizing on a scramble in front of the Slovakian net following a shot from Miro Heiskanen. Haula extended the lead to 2-0 early in the second period, finishing a feed from Armia.
Slovakia, however, refused to go quietly. Tomáš Tatar scored late in the second period, with just 30 seconds remaining, cutting the deficit to 2-1 and injecting momentum into the Slovakian side heading into the final frame. That momentum proved short-lived.
Penalties early in the third period proved costly for Slovakia. Roope Hintz redirected a Heiskanen shot on the power play at , restoring Finland’s two-goal advantage. Less than a minute later, at , Kakko forced a turnover and scored, pushing the lead to 4-1 and effectively sealing Slovakia’s fate.
Joel Armia and Haula added empty-net goals to complete the 6-1 scoreline. Samuel Hlavaj made 29 saves for Slovakia, but was ultimately overwhelmed by Finland’s relentless attack in the third period.
“To be honest, a little bit of mixed feelings to being so close last night to play for the gold medal tomorrow night,” Finland forward Sebastian Aho said. “But really proud of the effort how we came back tonight and we’re probably going to thank ourselves for how we prepared for tonight to win this medal.”
For Slovakia, the loss was particularly stinging. They had defeated Finland in the opening game of the tournament and finished atop Group B, but fell short of repeating their bronze medal performance from the 2022 Olympics. They were routed by the USA in the semifinals.
“For myself, it’s definitely the worst loss of my hockey career, so I’m really disappointed,” said Slovakian defenseman Martin Fehervary. “I felt like we played a good game today. It just didn’t go our way some of the parts of the hockey game. … But everyone wants to win and we don’t have any medal.”
Finland’s victory continues their impressive run in Olympic hockey during eras when NHL players are eligible to participate. Their consistent success underscores the depth of talent within Finnish hockey and their ability to perform on the biggest stage.
The gold medal game between the United States and Canada is scheduled for on Sunday, , and will be broadcast on NBC and Peacock.
Artturi Lehkonen and Joel Kiviranta also contributed to Finland’s bronze medal win.
