Finland faces a significant challenge with the absence of key defenseman Jani Hakanpää for the upcoming 4 Nations Face-Off tournament due to injury, alongside an equally impactful loss of Miro Heiskanen, who has been ruled out with a lower-body injury sustained in a recent game. Heiskanen’s leadership and defensive prowess are considered vital for Finland’s performance, which has been acknowledged by team captain Aleksander Barkov.

In light of these setbacks, Finnish management is tasked with finding suitable replacements from a limited pool of eligible players, as only 11 Finnish defensemen have played in the NHL this season. Potential candidates include Henri Jokiharju from Buffalo, Nikolas Matinpalo of Ottawa, Ville Heinola from Winnipeg, and Urho Vaakanainen, recently acquired by the New York Rangers. Finland's tournament starts on February 13 against the U.S., followed by matches against Sweden and Canada.