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2026 Olympic
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The Finnish women finally made their Olympic hockey debut after their first game was postponed because of a norovirus outbreak. The Americans easily defeated them. Alexander Nemenov / AFP via Getty Images
MILAN — After dealing with a norovirus outbreak that postponed its game against Canada, the Finnish women’s hockey team took the ice for the first time at the 2026 Olympics, dropping its debut against Team USA by a decisive 5-0 score.
On Thursday, only 10 Finnish players — eight skaters and two goalies — were available to skate, with 13 others either sick or in quarantine due to exposure. On Saturday afternoon, Finland had 22 players — everyone but No. 3 goalie Emilia Kyrkkö — dressed against the Americans.
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International Olympic Committee medical director Jane Thornton said in an email to The Athletic that all players who have been sick or isolated due to the virus returned to play according to guidelines established by the National Olympic Committee team physicians in consultation with International Federations and the Olympic Games Organizing Committee. The return “is based on clinical course and according to timelines on infectiousness of the specific pathogen,” Thornton said.
USA Hockey’s Pat Kelleher was comfortable with the decision to play, telling The Athletic, “The USOPC is on top of that. So we’re following their lead and direction on it. There’s tons of doctors here under the USOPC and with us. So we’re taking every precaution, but we feel confident.”
From the outset of Saturday afternoon’s game, it was all United States as defender Megan Keller finished with a goal and two assists. Alex Carpenter, Taylor Heise, Hilary Knight and Abbey Murphy chipped in the other goals. Laila Edwards had two assists, and Aerin Frankel improved to 2-0 in the tournament with 11 saves as the Americans outshot the Finns by 38 for the easy shutout.
You know the Americans are playing well when John Wroblewski’s only concern so far is their lack of penalty kill reps. The United States has taken one penalty in two games, killing a minor against the Czech Republic, also known as Czechia.
Heise, on the other hand, says the one area where the Americans can get better is her power-play unit.
“We’re really going to dial in on that,” said Heise.
Other than that, the Americans have had the puck a lot in the first two games but the tournament will only get harder from here.
But, as defender Cayla Barnes said, “I always feel we have another gear.”
The United States will take Sunday off before playing Switzerland on Monday.
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Finland had every reason to come out sluggish after half the team spent most of the week sick or in isolation at the athletes’ village.
Norovirus is a highly contagious and often incredibly unpleasant stomach virus, which causes dehydration, loss of fluids and lack of sleep. Finland coach Tero Lehterä said most players had been in bed the last three days and got their first touches on the puck in warmups; he was proud of his team’s effort.
Finnish defenders did well to keep the U.S. to the outside; they were breaking up high-danger plays and killed off an early power play by a dangerous American attack. Sanni Ahola, one of the players who missed time due to the outbreak, was really sharp, stopping 13 saves on 14 shots in the first period. She finished with 44 stops.
“We were really excited to finally get the chance to play,” said defender Jenni Hiirikoski. We know that USA is a really hard team and that we needed to battle hard and I think we did that today.
“I’m really proud of the effort,” Lehterä said. “They never gave up or gave in. They kept playing.”
Team USA scored on a second power-play attempt late and scored two quick goals in the second before the floodgates opened. But Finland showed an incredible amount of heart and pride in the way it came out.
“They worked four years to get here,” said Wroblewski. “They’re geared up and they’re doing everything they possibly can to defend and keep that puck out of their net. It’s an amazing spirit and something it’s tough to capture outside of international hockey.”
Heise and Murphy were held off the score sheet in Team USA’s first game against Czechia. They played well but weren’t quite as sharp as we saw them at the 2025 Rivalry Series.
Over the four-game series, the pair put on a show, with Heise finding seams and setting up open looks for Murphy, who scored five goals, including a Game 1 hat trick.
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On Saturday, the dynamic pair officially arrived in Milan. Only this time it was Murphy delivering a gift to Heise for her first goal at the Olympic Games. Nobody grabbed her the puck, but, “I’ll have the video for the rest of my life. … “I have a lot of pucks in my time, so it would just go to the bottom of a bin.”
That change-up is exactly what makes the duo so dangerous for opponents. Heise is one of the best playmakers in the game, but she also has a great shot. Murphy is the total package, too, and she showed with her goal late in the game.
“So obviously anytime I can score, I love it, but I also would love to get some assists,” Heise said. “I think we were really close today. So regardless of what I do or what anyone else does, if we win, I’m happy.”
With Britta Curl-Salemme on the other wing to hunt pucks and do the dirty work, this could be a formidable line for Team USA.
“It’s kind of funny being a Badger with two Gophers,” said Curl-Salemme, the University of Wisconsin alum, who is playing with two University of Minnesota players (Murphy is still there). “Not used to that, but they’re great players. They’re fun to play with and try to give them the puck, right?”
Heise was excited to score her first Olympic goal in front of her fiancé, former college basketball player Parker Fox. He arrived from Minnesota on Saturday morning.
“I always try to find my people in the stands and he always can tell,” Heise said. “So today he was really trying to get my attention and waving really hard. So I actually found him.”
Just two games into her fifth and final Olympics, Knight has tied the all-time U.S. record for goals at the tournament with 14 alongside Natalie Darwitz and Katie King-Crowley. With a goal Thursday, she already became the only American hockey player — and just the third-ever after Hockey Hall of Fame Canadians Hayley Wickenheiser and Jayna Hefford — to score in five Olympic hockey tournaments.
With one more goal in Milan, Knight will stand alone in American history.
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“She continues to hit milestone after milestone,” Barnes said. “So no surprise there. One of the best people and players I’ve ever had the privilege to play with. So just happy for her and we’ll be on the watch for her to break that.”
Wroblewski has said one of the Americans’ big motivations for this tournament is having Knight close out her Olympic career with one more gold medal.
And while this might be Knight’s last tournament, this is not your typical farewell tour: She’s still one of the very best players in the world, and she put that on display with her second goal of the tournament.
Standing on the red line with the puck in the offensive zone, Knight had the awareness to take a step away from the Finnish defender, open up her stick and didn’t need much space beside the post to beat Ahola. That’s what elite goal scorers do. And at 36 years old, Knight is still that.
Keller, the Boston Fleet captain in her third Olympics, continues to be one of the smoothest defenders to watch. She was truly elite Saturday in all three zones, from the way she defended to her exceptional goal after walking down the wall.
“She was awesome,” Wroblewski said. “The thing about Keller is just how quiet her game can be, and then the quiet can get loud real quick. It’s like watching, this may sound crazy, but like Chris Pronger back in the prime. Just like big, rangy and then steady. And just mean enough. It’s that good at ice level.”
Added Barnes, “She’s lighting a fire in our offense.”
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