Tough news was announced on Tuesday morning for the Buffalo Sabres and their Team Finland Olympic team. Goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen will not play in the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics for Team Finland. This is due to a lower-body injury sustained on January 27th against the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen will no longer play in the upcoming Milano Cortina 2026 Olympics due to a lower-body injury.
Details → https://t.co/I7Lo9CjxaY pic.twitter.com/CuudZgGQAu
— Buffalo Sabres (@BuffaloSabres) February 3, 2026
Luukkonen’s Injury and Who Will Replace Him?
Buffalo head coach Lindy Ruff said on Monday that Luukkonen is “progressing” in his recovery. However, he has not practiced since his injury and was moved to injured reserve on Monday. As Buffalo is in the midst of a 2026 Stanley Cup Playoff push, it may be a wise decision to let their goalie get as much rest as possible. Alex Lyon will take most of the goaltending duties if Luukkonen’s injury lasts until after the Olympic break. In 21 games this season, he has an 11-7-2 record, a 2.73 goals-against average, and a .903 save percentage.
On Tuesday morning, the Finnish Olympic Team announced their replacement goaltender. Joonas Korpisalo will be going to the Olympics in place of Luukkonen. In 21 games this season for the Boston Bruins, he has a 10-8-1 record, a 3.12 goals-against average, and an .895 save percentage. Korpisalo has represented the Finnish National Team on two occasions. First in the IIHF World Junior Championship in 2013, and again in the IIHF Ice Hockey World Championships in 2017.
Maalivahti Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen joutuu jättämään ensi viikolla käynnistyvän olympiaturnauksen väliin alavartalovamman vuoksi. Luukkosen tilalle Milanoon matkustaa Boston Bruinsin Joonas Korpisalo.https://t.co/93U7Bi4cT5#Leijonat pic.twitter.com/RCrvHnLxNE
— Leijonat.fi (@leijonat) February 3, 2026
With Luukkonen bowing out of the Olympics, the three Finnish goaltenders currently slated to play in the Olympics are Juuse Saros, Kevin Lankinen, and Joonas Korpisalo. Saros will likely carry the lion’s share of games, with Lankinen and Korpisalo backing up. The Olympic opening ceremony will take place this Friday at 2:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time or 11:00 a.m. Pacific Standard Time. The first game for Team Finland will be against Team Slovakia on Wednesday, February 11th, at 10:40 a.m. Eastern Time (7:40 a.m. Pacific).
Main Photo: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
