{"id":466438,"date":"2026-02-22T02:40:22","date_gmt":"2026-02-22T02:40:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/466438\/"},"modified":"2026-02-22T02:40:22","modified_gmt":"2026-02-22T02:40:22","slug":"predators-juuse-saros-erik-haula-win-bronze-medal-at-olympics-with-6-1-win-over-slovakia-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/466438\/","title":{"rendered":"Predators’ Juuse Saros, Erik Haula win bronze medal at Olympics with 6-1 win over Slovakia"},"content":{"rendered":"

Goaltender Juuse Saros<\/a> and forward Erik Haula, the only two remaining Nashville Predators<\/a> players at the Milano Cortina Olympics, will come home with the bronze medal<\/a> after defeating Slovakia 6-1 on Feb. 21.<\/p>\n

Saros made 30 saves and Haula scored two goals for Finland in the bronze medal game, held at Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena in Milan. Finland takes home its second straight medal at the Olympics, having won gold at the 2022 Beijing Games.<\/p>\n

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Though Finland missed out on repeating as Olympic champions when it lost 3-2 to Canada in the semifinal<\/a> on Feb. 20, earning an Olympic medal in ice hockey is a rare feat. This was the first Olympics the NHL allowed players to participate since 2014, so even having the opportunity to play is an achievement.<\/p>\n

Both Saros and Haula made the most of their Olympic opportunity. Saros started all six games for Finland, finishing with a 4-2-0 record and a .940 save percentage. Haula scored three goals and three assists in the tournament as a third-line center and penalty killer.<\/p>\n

The Predators<\/a> have now had eight players win an Olympic medal. The others: Shea Weber (2010, 2014); Ryan Suter (2010); Mike Dunham (2002); Martin Erat (2006); Tomas Vokoun (2006); and Marek Zidlicky (2006).<\/p>\n

This is Saros’ fifth medal finish on the international stage. In 2013, he won the bronze medal at the U18 World Junior Championships, then took home the gold medal at the 2014 U20 World Junior Championships. He also two silver medals at the World Championships (2016, 2025). Haula has now won three medals for Finland, with a bronze at the 2013 U18 World Juniors and silver at the 2025 World Championships.<\/p>\n

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The gold medal game between Canada and the United States will take place at 7:10 a.m. CT Feb. 22 (live, NBC).<\/p>\n

GOLD MEDAL GAME: Canada vs USA hockey in Olympics gold medal game, how to watch, predictions<\/a><\/p>\n

The Predators, who were back at practice on Feb. 18 during the Olympic break, return to action on Feb. 26 at Bridgestone Arena against the Chicago Blackhawks.<\/p>\n

Alex Daugherty is the Predators beat writer for The Tennessean. Contact Alex at jdaugherty@gannett.com<\/a>. Follow Alex on X, the platform formerly called Twitter,\u00a0@alexdaugherty1<\/a>.\u00a0Also check out our Predators exclusive Instagram page\u00a0@tennessean_preds<\/a>.<\/p>\n

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Predators’ Juuse Saros, Erik Haula win bronze medal at Olympics<\/a><\/p>\n