At the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan Cortina, Finland delivered one of the tournament’s most dramatic finishes, storming back from a two-goal deficit to defeat Switzerland 3-2 in overtime in the men’s ice hockey quarterfinals at Rho Arena on Tuesday.
The hero was Artturi Lehkonen, who ended the game just 3:23 into overtime. Taking a perfectly timed feed from Anton Lundell, Lehkonen slipped behind the Swiss defense, skated in alone on goaltender Leonardo Genoni, and buried a wrist shot to complete a stunning comeback and send Finland into the semifinals.
Finland will now face Canada men’s national ice hockey team on Friday with a chance to continue its pursuit of back-to-back Olympic gold medals.
Switzerland appeared firmly in control early, striking twice in rapid succession during the first period. Damien Riat opened the scoring at 14:14 after a turnover behind the Finnish net, capitalizing on a feed to tuck the puck into an open goal.
Just 1:12 later, Nino Niederreiter doubled the lead. Fresh off the bench, he blasted a one-timer from the left circle off a pass from Pius Suter, beating Finnish goalie Juuse Saros, who was partially screened on the play.
With a 2-0 advantage and a disciplined defensive structure, Switzerland—featuring eight NHL players—shifted into shutdown mode, frustrating a Finnish roster loaded entirely with NHL talent.
Despite being held scoreless for much of the game, Finland never wavered. With just over six minutes remaining in regulation, the comeback began.
Sebastian Aho broke through at 13:54 of the third period, firing a wrist shot past Genoni to cut the deficit in half and ignite the Finnish bench.
Then, with Saros pulled for an extra attacker, Miro Heiskanen delivered the equalizer in dramatic fashion. His shot from the point deflected off Swiss defenseman Jonas Siegenthaler and into the net with just 1:12 remaining—marking the latest game-tying goal for Finland in an Olympic game featuring NHL players.
In overtime, Finland seized momentum quickly. Lundell carried the puck out of the defensive zone and spotted Lehkonen streaking behind the defense. The perfectly timed pass sent Lehkonen in alone, and the veteran forward made no mistake.
It was a fitting moment for Lehkonen, who has built a reputation for clutch performances, particularly in high-pressure situations.
After conceding two quick goals early, Saros rebounded to make 21 saves and anchor Finland’s comeback. On the other end, Genoni was strong with 28 saves but was ultimately undone by Finland’s late surge.
For Switzerland, the loss was heartbreaking. Just six minutes away from reaching its first Olympic semifinal, the lead—and the dream—slipped away in a matter of moments.
With the victory, Finland advances to the semifinals in an Olympics featuring NHL players for the fifth time in six appearances. The Finns are aiming to defend their gold medal from Beijing 2022 and add to a strong Olympic history that includes three bronze medals (1998, 2010, 2014) and a silver in 2006.
If Tuesday’s comeback is any indication, Finland remains one of the most resilient and dangerous teams in the tournament—never out of a game, and always capable of delivering when it matters most.
