Finland Crushes Italy 11-0 in Lopsided Olympic Hockey Matchup

Current and former Dallas Stars players shine in dominant win for Finland.

Published on Feb. 14, 2026

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Finland routed Italy 11-0 in a lopsided men's hockey matchup at the Olympics, with several current and former Dallas Stars players contributing to the blowout victory. Sebastian Aho, Kaapo Kakko, Joel Kiviranta, and captain Mikael Granlund each scored twice for Finland, while Mikko Rantanen added three assists and Miro Heiskanen scored a goal and an assist.

Why it matters

The decisive win for Finland was incentivized by the goal differential tiebreaker, leading the team to aggressively pursue running up the score against an overmatched Italian squad. The game highlighted the strong representation of Dallas Stars players on the Finnish national team, with several current and former Stars making major contributions.

The details

Finland dominated from start to finish, outshooting Italy by a staggering 62-15 margin. At one point, Finland had already scored 8 goals while Italy had only managed 8 shots on goal. The 11-goal margin made it the most lopsided men's hockey game at the Olympics since 1988.

  • The game was played on February 14, 2026.

The players

Sebastian Aho

A Finnish professional ice hockey player.

Kaapo Kakko

A Finnish professional ice hockey player.

Joel Kiviranta

A Finnish professional ice hockey player who previously played for the Dallas Stars from 2020 to 2023.

Mikael Granlund

A Finnish professional ice hockey player who previously played for the Dallas Stars in 2025.

Mikko Rantanen

A Finnish professional ice hockey player who currently plays for the Dallas Stars.

Miro Heiskanen

A Finnish professional ice hockey player who currently plays for the Dallas Stars.

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What they’re saying

“I'd expect nothing less. That's the game we're playing here. Yeah, that stings for us obviously from a pride perspective but also in the standings.”

— Thomas Larkin, Italy captain

“They knew that, and then we told them honestly what is the situation. We had a plan. First plan: win the game. And then do goals as much as you can.”

— Antti Pennanen, Finland coach

What’s next

Barring any unforeseen events, Finland is expected to advance to the quarterfinals as the No. 4 seed.

The takeaway

This lopsided victory for Finland showcased the depth of talent on their Olympic hockey roster, with several current and former Dallas Stars players making major contributions. The game highlighted the strong representation of the Stars organization on the Finnish national team.