Antti Pennanen faces pressure in Finland after decisive Olympic victory

MILAN — Finland’s hockey team triumphed over Italy with a score of 11-0 on Saturday, which nearly secures them a spot in the Olympic quarterfinals. This victory is significant even though they finished second in Group B. However, concerns are already brewing for coach Antti Pennanen.

According to a startling report from Irta Sanomat, Finland’s largest newspaper, players from the NHL had approached team management over the summer, suggesting that Panthers coach Paul Maurice should replace Pennanen at the Olympics, following a disappointing performance in last February’s Quadrangle.

Jere Lehtinen, Finland’s general manager, confirmed his awareness of this situation.

It’s worth noting that Maurice hasn’t entirely dismissed this idea.

“Actually, I hadn’t heard anything about it until today,” mentioned Panthers wing Eetu Luostarinen, one of the four Finns on Florida’s roster, after the game against Italy. “I think we have an excellent management team, with great coaches and players, so we’re just focused on the tournament and pushing as far as we can.”

Stand-in captain Mikko Rantanen said he first learned about the rumor from a Finnish reporter.

“I’ve never heard of that,” he replied when asked about the speculation.

Despite the turmoil, Finnish media continues to highlight the situation. A separate outlet, Siniviiva, noted that rumors regarding player dissatisfaction have been circulating for some time. It also mentioned that despite Pennanen having signed a contract extension until spring 2027 before the Olympics, his future beyond the Games appears uncertain.

Right now, Finland’s focus remains on the Olympics. They recently achieved back-to-back victories against their longtime rivals, Sweden and Italy, the latter of which featured that astounding 11-goal margin.

2026 Winter Olympics

Given the qualifying round rules, the Finns were eager to score as many goals as possible, hoping to secure a victory on the basis of goal differential.

It’s hard to picture continued calls for Pennanen’s dismissal if Finland finds a way to replicate their gold medal success from 2022. Still, the circumstances are certainly challenging for him.