2026 Olympic Men’s Hockey: Top standouts as Finland eliminates Switzerland
The defending Olympic champions are still alive.
Thanks to a late rally and a clutch goal in the extra frame, Finland was able to outlast Switzerland, 3-2, advancing to the semifinals at the 2026 Winter Olympics.
The Swiss looked like they were on their way to an upset. Up 2-0 heading into the latter half of the third, it seemed that time was running out on Finland. However, some life was instilled in Suomi when Sebastian Aho scored his third of the tournament with just over six minutes to go. They continued to ramp things up in the dying minutes. Despite some big saves by Genoni, a Miro Heiskanen shot went off Jonas Siegenthaler’s stick and in to tie the game with just over a minute remaining, sending the game to overtime.
Each team had a couple of chances, but a nice pass from Anton Lundell sent Artturi Lehkonen on a breakaway, and the Colorado Avalanche star beat Swiss netminder Leonardo Genoni to give the Finns the victory.
Switzerland came out of the gates hot against the rested Finns. They didn’t show any signs of weariness after playing Italy in the quarterfinals. The Swiss’ pressure paid off late in the first period, as a good forecheck led to Finnish netminder Juuse Saros giving the puck away to Switzerland forward Ken Jager, who then found Damien Riat open in front of the empty cage for the first goal of the game.
Just over a minute later, Nino Niederreiter beat a screened Saros for his first goal in Milan, sending Switzerland into the first intermission with a two-goal lead.
Finland started to pick up the pressure in the second period, finding their legs and creating several grade-A scoring chances. However, Genoni came up with some big stops to keep his team out in front.
Finland ended up outshooting Switzerland 31-23. Saros made 21 saves for his third win of the tournament. Both teams failed to capitalize on two power plays apiece.
Finland is heading to the final four at the Olympics for the fifth time in the past six tournaments. They will wait to see who they will play in the semifinals on Friday. For Switzerland, it marks the second straight quarterfinal exit at the Winter Games.
Finland
#41 Miro Heiskanen, D (Dallas Stars): Outside of a giveaway on the power play in the third, Heiskanen was arguably Finland’s best player on Wednesday. Even when Switzerland had the momentum, he did his due diligence in his own zone while using his skill to generate offense, especially in the second period. While his goal might be considered lucky, the awareness to look for a tip rather than rush a shot toward the net is what makes Heiskanen one of the best defenders in the NHL. He ended up leading Finland in shots on goal (5) and time on ice (29:19) in the win.
#63 Artturi Lehkonen, F (Colorado Avalanche): Lehkonen could’ve had a couple of goals with the chances he had. Some of the looks he had in the Finns’ strong second period helped slow Switzerland’s momentum, slightly turning the tables in Suomi’s favor. For a player who has earned the reputation of scoring big goals in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, Lehkonen’s second goal in Milan might be the launching pad for Finland to get the confidence to take home a medal.
#23 Esa Lindell, D (Dallas Stars): Heiskanen’s defense partner had a pretty good game as well. Along with posting an ice time of 25:19, second only to Heiskanen, Lindell contributed offensively, picking up assists on Aho and Lehkonen’s tallies. Having Lindell play with his Dallas teammate has given him the confidence to trust his game, giving Finland a solid 1-2 punch on defense.
Switzerland
#63 Leonardo Genoni, G: You have to feel for this guy. The 38-year-old has become one of the feel-good stories in these Olympic Games, and almost stole the game for Switzerland, which has never made it to the semifinals in the men’s tournament. Genoni made so many huge saves in the third period, including a couple of 10-bell stops on Mikael Granlund to keep his team in the lead. Certainly one of Switzerland’s best players in the tournament, Genoni has to be praised for his efforts over the past week.
#17 Ken Jager, F: The line of Jager, Riat, and Simon Knak caused quite a bit of havoc against Finland. Along with creating the first goal of the game, the fourth line generated a little bit of offense on Wednesday, and Jager was right at the forefront of their efforts. The Lausanne HC veteran used his wits to find holes in the ice and pressure the Finns’ blue line. Jager ends the tournament with two assists.
#73 Sandro Schmid, F: Schmid might not have registered a point in Milan, but he was a noticeable player in a limited role. The 25-year-old was one of Switzerland’s top penalty killers, a PK that’s currently ranked second with a 93.3% success rate after the quarterfinals. Schmid even created a couple of turnovers, while shorthanded, that led to scoring chances in the third. If one of those goes in, we might be having a different conversation.