MILAN — When Kaapo Kakko suffered his second damage of the NHL season in mid-November, the Finn had real concern it would intrude with his Olympic goals.
“The first [injury] I got pretty early, and I knew I still had time,” said Kakko, who missed the first 10 video games of the Kraken’s 2025-26 season due to a hand fracture before sustaining a lower-body damage later in the marketing campaign. “But when the second one happened, I mean, I didn’t feel too good. Before the photos with the MRI, I was a little scared that this one was maybe going to be a little longer than it should be. Everything went well and got back to healthy and been playing since that. So it’s been good.”
The former Ranger landed back on injured reserve in November, but he only missed six video games during his second damage stint. Returning to Seattle’s lineup in the center of a season-high six-game shedding streak, Kakko posted 20 factors (5 objectives, 15 assists) over the Kraken’s remaining 33 video games before the Olympic break.
Kaapo Kakko #84 of Team Finland participates during coaching on day three of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics. Getty Images
Seattle also went into the 20-day hiatus in playoff place, sitting in third place in the Pacific Division with a .563 level proportion.
Kakko rotated with Oliver Kapanen on Finland’s third line alongside Anton Lundell and Eetu Luostarinen, who the 24-year-old is rooming with in the Olympic Village.
“I remember when I was watching, when I was young, the days Team Finland played I was just waiting for the game and getting ready,” he recalled after wrapping up observe. “Like, all the people were just talking about the games and how they are going to do. You kind of feel, I don’t know, pressure, but I think it’s more exciting when everybody’s watching. Thinking about the games and asking how you guys are doing here. My friends and family are asking how it is at the Olympics. So it’s been fun.”
Through two days of observe, it appears like Team USA plans to preserve the line of Jack Eichel between the Tkachuk brothers that it ended 4 Nations with. Otherwise, issues look in flux.
Matt Boldy, a third-line staple during 4 Nations, skated with Auston Matthews and Jake Guentzel on Tuesday with Kyle Connor, Dylan Larkin and Tage Thompson making up the third line. The fourth featured some rotation but presently seems probably that Brock Nelson will play heart.
Matt Boldy of United States and Jeremy Swayman of United States during coaching. REUTERS
Neither Charlie McAvoy nor Jack Hughes, both of whom were injured main up to the Olympics, are expected to be saved out of motion here. McAvoy has skated next to Quinn Hughes in observe, though Sullivan has warned not to learn into observe alignment.
The huge lineup news through two days out of Team Canada is the second line, where Connor McDavid is centering Tom Wilson and Macklin Celebrini. The 19-year-old celebrity for the Sharks is being thrust into the cauldron as the second-youngest player at these Olympic Games, behind only Alberts Smits of Latvia, a probably lottery choose in this summer time’s draft.
2026 WINTER OLYMPICS
“He may be 19 years old, like his physical body is, but his acumen for the game is not,” Canada coach Jon Cooper informed reporters Sunday. “He’s wise beyond his years. And so I can’t sit here and look at him as this kid. … If he’s shown us anything and all of us in this NHL year, he’s a pretty special player.”
Certain areas of the Santagiulia Arena still have the really feel of a development web site, and the higher sections behind one of the objectives is curtained off — the vestige of roughly 3,000 seats that will not be put in due to development points — but gamers and workers have uniformly downplayed any points with the ice or with their amenities.
“It looks good,” Team USA captain Matthews informed reporters Sunday. “I can’t imagine having to put something like this together with a limited amount of time. I thought they did a pretty good job to get it up. The setup’s good, the ice is solid — it’s never going to be perfect — but it’s cool. I think it looks pretty good.”
“I didn’t even notice the [shorter] rink size, so that’s not gonna play a role, I don’t think,” Finland’s Sebastian Aho said.
Team Canada and Team Sweden both closed their practices to reporters Monday. Cooper claimed it was because his team was on the smaller observe rink and there are area points.
Caginess has been something of a theme so far, with no groups naming a beginning goaltender for their first video games. At Team USA observe, Connor Hellebuyck stayed in the same web all through while Jeremy Swayman and Jake Oettinger rotated in the other web.
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