Finland goes into the fresh new 2022 Olympic women’s hockey event because defending bronze medalists from the 2018 Cold temperatures Games for the South Korea and the 2021 IIHF Frost Hockey Ladies’ Industry Title in Canada. Music pretty quick, right? But there is significantly more here than simply meets the attention on the Nordic country you to is third on the IIHF Women’s World Ranks.

This will be a team from inside the change less than Pasi Mustonen, who’ll serve as head advisor at their next and you may last Olympics. Youngsters is actually front and you may center. The Beijing lineup, established on the 20 January, keeps a whopping thirteen Olympic earliest-timers, and additionally eight skaters created adopting the year 2000.

It is rather similar to the team you to definitely hit the freeze into the Calgary from inside the August, although different regarding goalie Noora Raty – a several-date Olympian just who backstopped Finland to help you bronze in 2010 and you can 2018 and you may a probably coming IIHF Hall of famer – qualifies since the a beneficial shocker.

Raty, thirty two, clashed that have Mustonen in public places a year ago whenever she decided to operate their hockey school in Minnesota in the place of join the Ladies’ Worlds group. However, the tenacious and you will competent seasoned played for HPK Hameenlinna this current year, are welcome toward Olympic education camp, along with already agreed to rejoin new Russian Women’s Hockey League’s KRS Vanke Light after Beijing.

Mustonen, even when, is also justify his questionable decision from the directing to help you Anni Keisala’s higher efficiency in the Calgary. New twenty four-year-dated Ilves netminder – good positionally voice, chill battler – was entitled Most readily useful Goalie and you will a competition the-celebrity during the Ladies’ Planets (step 1.43 GAA, 94.8 conserve commission, a couple shutouts). (more…)