Seattle Kraken forwards Eeli Tolvanen and Kaapo Kakko will be heading to the 2026 Milano Cortina Olympic Games as members of Team Finland.

“It would mean a lot,” Tolvanen said Wednesday, before the official announcement was made, when asked what it might mean to be included on the roster. “I mean, I feel like everybody dreams of playing in the Olympics, or even playing for their country, and I think I’m not different on that. Every time I have the chance to represent my country, I would love to.”

After scoring a career-high 23 goals for Seattle last season, the 26-year-old Tolvanen is in the midst of another strong campaign. He’s second on the team in scoring with 25 points (seven goals, 18 assists) in 38 games and has earned the trust of coach Lane Lambert, being deployed in all situations as one of Seattle’s top wingers.

A passionate hockey nation, Finnish players are known for responsible, two-way hockey, and Tolvanen is an embodiment of that ethos. His style of play should serve Finland well in a tournament that will feature the best players in the world, with NHLers returning for the first time since 2014 in Sochi.

“I just think he does things really correctly for the most part in all different areas,” Lambert said. “We started trying to maybe not have him on both special teams, but we put him on the penalty kill, and he’s done a really good job there. His forechecking is good in that when he gets in on the forecheck, he can create separation. He’s done that a number of times, and he’s committed. He blocks shots, he hits, he’s played very well. He’s earned the ice time he’s been given.”

This will not be Tolvanen’s first time representing his country or even playing in the Olympics. He competed in the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Games before becoming a full-time NHLer, posting nine points (three goals, six assists) in five games, including a four-point game against Germany. He also played twice at the IIHF World Junior Championship and twice at the IIHF Men’s World Championship, including last summer, when he recorded nine points (7-2=9) in eight games.

“It’s something that I think Finns take really seriously as fans and as players too, and everybody wants to play for the national team,” Tolvanen said. “I feel I’ve just had good success lately in the World Championship and everywhere they put the team together.”

As for Kakko, the 24-year-old former No. 2 overall draft pick has had much of his season derailed by injuries but has been returning to form in recent weeks, skating on Seattle’s top line with Jordan Eberle and Matty Beniers.

This will be Kakko’s first Olympics, though he too is no stranger to international competition. Kakko has represented Finland on several occasions, including at the WJC in 2019, two appearances at the World Championship, and he was a bottom-of-the-lineup participant in last year’s 4 Nations Face-Off. At 4 Nations, Kakko, played two games and posted one assist.

Philipp Grubauer excited for the opportunity

Goaltender Philipp Grubauer is the only other Kraken player who has been named to an Olympic roster so far. He was one of the first six players selected for Team Germany during the summer and has since put up stellar numbers in a No. 2 role with Seattle this season, posting a 6-3-1 record with a 2.44 goals-against average and .917 save percentage.

“It’s obviously a huge honor,” Grubauer said. “It’s something I grew up watching because we didn’t have the NHL to watch, obviously, and it’s a huge honor to represent Germany at that stage.”

Grubauer, who hails from Rosenheim in southern Germany, said he expects a large contingent of family to make the trip to Milan for the Games, noting it’s a relatively easy drive.

“They already planned it,” Grubauer said. “I think it’s only like a four-hour drive for them, so a bunch of family members are coming. It’s going to be nice, because we always vacation down there [in northern Italy]… It’s really familiar.”

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There is also a chance Kraken prospect Oscar Fisker Mølgaard receives an Olympic nod for Team Denmark, though their roster has not yet been announced.

There was some chatter that Brandon Montour had an outside shot at making Team Canada, but the defenseman—currently out of the Kraken lineup with an upper-body injury—unsurprisingly did not make the cut for Canada’s stacked roster.

Women’s Team USA roster announced

Meanwhile, on the women’s side, four Seattle Torrent players were officially named to Team USA on Friday, with captain Hilary Knight set to lead the team in her fifth and final Olympics. Forward Alex Carpenter and defender Cayla Barnes will each play in their third respective Olympics, while 24-year-old forward Hannah Bilka will make her Olympic debut.