Finland Releases 2026 IIHF World Championship Roster Headlined by Aleksander Barkov

Finland became the latest top hockey nation to announce its roster for the 2026 IIHF World Championship on Sunday.The Finns will travel to Switzerland with a talented and experienced squad featuring 12 NHL players, including superstar center Aleksander Barkov.

Goaltenders

Justus Annunen (Nashville Predators)

Joonas Korpisalo (Boston Bruins)

Harri Säteri (Biel-Bienne, NL)

Defensemen

Ville Heinola (Winnipeg Jets)

Henri Jokiharju (Boston Bruins)

Mikko Lehtonen (ZSC Lions, NL)

Olli Määttä (Calgary Flames)

Nikolas Matinpalo (Ottawa Senators)

Vili Saarijärvi (Genève-Servette HC, NL)

Mikael Seppälä (HC Sparta Praha, EHL)

Urho Vaakanainen (New York Rangers)

Forwards

Aleksander Barkov (Florida Panthers)

Hannes Björninen (SCL Tigers, NL)

Eemil Erholtz (Kärpät Oulu)

Lenni Hämeenaho (New Jersey Devils)

Janne Kuokkanen (Malmö Redhawks, SHL)

Anton Lundell (Florida Panthers)

Saku Mäenalanen (SCL Tigers, NL)

Sakari Manninen (Genève-Servette HC, NL)

Waltteri Merelä (SC Bern, NL)

Sami Päivärinta (HPK Hämeenlinna)

Patrik Puistola (Örebro HK, SHL)

Jesse Puljujärvi (Genève-Servette HC, NL)

Aatu Räty (Vancouver Canucks)

Teuvo Teräväinen (Chicago Blackhawks)

Key Storylines

The headline name is undoubtedly Aleksander Barkov. After undergoing surgery for a major knee injury (ACL and MCL) suffered in training camp, the Panthers captain missed most of the 2025-26 NHL season. This marks Barkov’s first appearance at the IIHF World Championship in a decade.Another player to watch is Jesse Puljujärvi, who enjoyed a strong season in Switzerland, recording 52 points in 52 games for Genève-Servette.

Head coach Antti Pennanen will lead a veteran-heavy Finnish team that lacks some of the youngest prospects currently still playing in the domestic league finals. Finland enters the tournament as one of the favorites, hoping to claim their first gold medal since 2022 after winning bronze at the 2026 Olympics.The 2026 IIHF World Championship begins on May 15 in Switzerland.

_______