Buffalo Sabres goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen will miss the upcoming Olympic Games due to a lower-body injury, the team announced. In his absence, Team Finland will turn to Boston Bruins netminder Joonas Korpisalo to fill the spot on the national roster.
For Luukkonen, the timing couldn’t be more frustrating. After missing the opening month of the 2025-26 season, he’s largely stayed healthy and has been carving out a solid campaign in Buffalo.
Just days ago, the Sabres reported that he’d be sidelined for about a week, but now he’s officially out for the Olympics. Whether the injury would have kept him out through the break or if this is a precautionary move between player and team isn’t entirely clear-but either way, it’s a tough blow for both Luukkonen and Finland.
Luukkonen was widely expected to be Finland’s starting goaltender at the Games. Through 20 starts with the Sabres this season, he’s posted an 11-7-2 record with a .902 save percentage, a 2.73 goals-against average, and a 3.3 Goals Saved Above Average.
Those numbers may not scream Vezina, but they’ve been better than what fellow Finnish goalies Juuse Saros (Nashville) and Kevin Lankinen (Vancouver) have offered this season. Simply put, Luukkonen was trending toward being Finland’s best option in net.
This would’ve marked his first official international appearance at the pro level. He was rostered for the 4 Nations Face-Off last year but didn’t see any ice time.
The last time he suited up for Finland in game action? All the way back in the 2018-19 IIHF World Junior Championship, where he was stellar-posting a .932 save percentage and a 3-2-0 record across six games.
With Luukkonen out, Finland turns to Korpisalo, who’s been backing up in Boston but brings a veteran presence and international experience. He’s appeared in 21 games for the Bruins this season, going 10-8-1 with a .895 save percentage and a 3.12 goals-against average. While those numbers don’t jump off the page, he was the most logical choice among the remaining options, edging out Ville Husso, Justus Annunen, and Leevi Merilainen.
Korpisalo hasn’t played for Team Finland since the 2017 IIHF World Championships, where he went 2-4 with an .858 save percentage. That tournament ended with Finland falling short in the Bronze medal game against Russia.
This isn’t the way Luukkonen-or Finland-wanted things to unfold, especially with the Olympic stage offering a chance for him to showcase his growth on an international level. But with Korpisalo stepping in, Finland will lean on experience and hope he can find some of that old magic when the lights go up.