Finland unveils jerseys for 2026 Winter Olympic hockey tournament

A slightly different look for one of international hockey’s powerhouses ahead of one of the biggest events in sports.

On Friday, the official Instagram account of the Finnish National Hockey Team revealed the jerseys the men’s and women’s teams will wear at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy.

The Nike-branded jerseys have some noticeable differences compared to what Suomi has worn in international competition in recent years. Gone are the darkened, navy shoulders, as well as the yellowish Lion on the crest. The Lion has been altered to a gold color, which could be paying homage to the men’s team’s accomplishment almost four years ago in Beijing, when Finland won the gold medal for the first time in the country’s history.

Both men’s and women’s teams have hopes of making deep runs in the tournament. While NHLers weren’t allowed to play in China, there’s hope the male Lions are going to be in contention to win it all again. The team will be without captain Aleksander Barkov after the Florida Panthers star was hurt during training camp. The team still has a strong core with Mikko Rantanen, Sebastian Aho, and Miro Heiskanen.

For the women, who have won bronze in each of the past two Olympics, there’s a belief that they will be in the medal conversation once again, but it’s going to be tough to eclipse the United States and Canada. Yet, with the likes of Susanna Tapani, Michelle Karvinen and Ronja Savolainen, there’s always the possibility for an upset.

The men’s team will begin kick-off the male side of the ice hockey program on Wednesday, Feb. 11, taking on Slovakia in Group B play. The knockout stage begins on Feb. 17, with the gold medal being handed out on Feb. 22.

The women’s side faces a tough test on the first day of their tournament on Thursday, Feb. 5, when they take on Canada. The quarterfinals begin on Feb. 13, while the gold medal game isn’t until Feb. 19.