Only one player from the Chicago Blackhawks’ NHL roster is participating in the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics, and that’s 31-year-old Finnish forward Teuvo Teravainen.
Throughout his career, Teravainen has represented Finland on several occasions. He’s played at the U18 (2011 & 2012) and U20 (2013 & 2014) World Junior Championships, the IIHF World Championship (2018 & 2025), and last year’s 4 Nations Face-Off. Teravainen is no stranger to International competition at this point, but he’s about to set foot on the Olympic stage for the first time this week.
Teravainen and Finland will play in the opening game of the men’s Olympic hockey tournament in Milan, which is set for 9:40 a.m. CT against Slovakia on Wednesday. With games right around the corner, most countries began practicing over the weekend to establish chemistry and figure out looming lineup decisions.
When the Finns hit the ice on Sunday, Teravainen played right wing on the second line with Artturi Lehkonen (Colorado Avalanche) and Sebastian Aho (Carolina Hurricanes). Teravainen and Aho are quite familiar with one another, as they often skated on the same line as teammates in Carolina. Lehkonen also played alongside Teravainen at the 2012, 2013, and 2014 World Juniors before the two players reached the NHL. All three played at the 4 Nations Face-Off.
Lines and Pairings at the first practice for Team Finland 🇫🇮
Granlund – Hintz – Rantanen
Lehkonen – Aho – Teravainen
Luostarinen – Lundell – Kakko
Tolvanen – Haula – Armia
Heiskanen – Lindell
Mikkola – Ristolainen
Maatta – Jokiharju
— Daily Faceoff – Fantasy (@DFOFantasy) February 8, 2026
Not only is Teravainen looking at a top-six role for Finland in Italy, but he’ll also receive time on the power play. The Helsinki native played the flank on the team’s second power-play unit during Sunday’s practice session. Lehkonen was also on that unit in the bumper spot.
Team Finland back at practice. Power play units on the ice for the first time.
Net: Hintz
Bumper: Aho
Flanks: Granlund – Rantanen
QB: Heiskanen
Net: Armia
Bumper: Lehkonen
Flanks: Teräväinen – Tolvanen
QB: Lehtonen
#Olympics pic.twitter.com/rKX8Sgs1om
— Konsta Kiviniemi (@kkiviniemii) February 9, 2026
Finland doesn’t have much offensive firepower further down in its lineup, so Teravainen will be leaned on heavily to produce both at even strength and on the man advantage during the tournament. The top two forward lines, led by Dallas Stars’ winger Mikko Rantanen, will likely have to do much of the heavy lifting.
Of course, Teravainen has struggled to provide critical offensive support when playing for the Blackhawks this year. In 53 games, he’s recorded only 23 points (10G, 13A), putting him on pace for one of his worst NHL seasons. Teravainen also has just six goals and five assists at even strength.
For Finland to find success, Teravainen must perform much better than he has for Chicago so far. While the Finns play a structured defensive style that can be tough to crack, it will be nearly impossible to completely shut down the stacked Canadian and American rosters. To come away with a Gold Medal, their offense has to keep up.
Finland is in Group B for the Olympic Preliminary Round, along with Slovakia, Sweden, and Italy, the host country. After opening against Slovakia on Wednesday morning, the Finns play Sweden on Friday (5:10 a.m. CT) and Italy on Saturday (9:40 a.m. CT).
For more Blackhawks news, visit Chicago Hockey Now and like our Facebook Page.
Follow us on X: