How Jenni Hiirikoski overcame skate cut to play at World Championship

Apr 7, 2023, 09:15 EDT

How Jenni Hiirikoski overcame skate cut to play at World Championship

Credit: Jenni Hiirikoski (Steven Ellis/Daily Faceoff)

BRAMPTON – On March 19, Jenni Hiirikoski was surrounded by doctors at a Swedish hospital. Not far away, her Lulea teammates were wrapping up their second game of the SDHL championship.

The next day Hiirikoski – one of the best defenders in the history of the women’s game – was back on the ice. She was celebrating Lulea’s fifth consecutive title and sixth in seven years to set a new league record. This time, though, Hiirikoski was in street clothes.

She was one day removed from having surgery due to a skate slicing her neck.

The 36-year-old was all smiles during the championship celebration, if not a little heartbroken that she couldn’t play.

“It was a scary moment,” Hiiiokoski said after her first game back, a 14-1 win over France in the opening game of the World Championship. “But it’s great to be back and playing with the team.”

When Hiirikoski suffered her injury, players were told quickly that the situation was under control and she would be fine after her surgery. Still, it would have been understandable if the veteran elected to stay home and rest. It’s not like she had anything to prove. But Hiirikoski was back on the ice just five days after her injury, training with the Finns and getting back into game-playing shape.

It was quite the return for Hiirikoski, who snagged two assists on the night. The Finns dominated from the opening puck drop, and coach Juuso Toivola elected to roll the lines as much as possible to keep the stars rested. The Finns are the favorites to win Group B and advance to the playoffs after getting sent down to the weaker group due to a poor 2022 performance.

“It has been a really good focus the whole season after last worlds,” she said. “We’ve played many tournaments in Europe and we have really wanted to focus on every game we are together and our own performance.”

Hiirikoski looked like her usual self on Wednesday, showing that age isn’t a factor. She’s the oldest player in the tournament and has sole possession of the most games played in World Championship history, with 83 games over 15 years. No other player has broken through the 70-game barrier, and no other defenseman has more than 54.

It’s all still special for Hiirikoski. No matter the opponent, no matter the challenge. She loves it all the same.

“I’m enjoying every second I can be here,” Hiirikoski said. “We have good energy in the group. I’m really enjoying getting to work with everyone.”

The Finns are always favorites to challenge for the bronze. They’ve finished third 13 times, and even snagged a silver in 2019 – the event that saw Hiirikoski take home the MVP award. Her early play in Brampton has looked like a mirror image of everything we’ve seen before – she’s still at the top of her game. She played over 21 minutes in a one-sided game against France – there was no reason for that, but she was clearly capable.

The two-time Olympic medalist is a lock to make it into the Hockey Hall of Fame one day. No blueliner has been as successful as Hiirikoski, and nobody has the longevity. Given how Canada and the United States are the teams to beat every year, Hiirikoski has managed to keep Finland relevant since her arrival nearly 20 years ago. Without her ability to shut down the world’s top players, the Finns wouldn’t be considered the third-best country on the women’s side.

The Hall nod will come one day. Right now, she’s focused on chasing another medal. And while there’s still a long road to go – and who knows how many more attempts she’ll have – Hiirikoski will be ready to lead the charge until the bitter end.

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