Senior defenseman and captain Nelli Laitinen has returned to the University of Minnesota after competing in the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, where she played for Finland’s national women’s hockey team. Although Finland finished earlier than hoped — losing in a quarterfinal matchup and not earning a medal — Laitinen now shifts her attention back to college hockey and the postseason with the Minnesota Golden Gophers.
At Minnesota, she is one of the leaders both on and off the ice. Her Olympic experience gave her a fresh perspective about how unpredictable hockey can be, and she wants to bring that mentality into the Gophers’ playoff run. Laitinen said that anything can happen, and she hopes the lessons learned on the international stage will help her and her team in the postseason.
The Gophers wrapped up their regular season preparing for the WCHA (Western Collegiate Hockey Association) tournament, where the pressure is high and every game matters. Their first postseason series begins with an opening matchup against St. Cloud State University on Friday. Minnesota is ranked No. 4 and knows that even though St. Cloud isn’t a ranked team, there’s little room for error in playoff hockey.
Minnesota has had its challenges this year, including a sweep at the hands of Minnesota-Duluth in the final weekend before the postseason. Those losses served as a reminder that the team still has things to improve. Still, with key players returning from the Olympics, expectations are high. Graduate forward Abbey Murphy and senior forward Josefin Bouveng also came back after international duty, bringing additional experience and firepower to the lineup.
Laitinen is determined to be a leader for the team as they move into playoff hockey. She’s shown strong play all season as a defender, and her role as captain means she’s expected to be a voice in tight games and crucial moments. She hopes her time at the Olympics, where players face intense pressure and must respond quickly to changing situations, can help her teammates stay calm and confident.
The Gophers know that when the postseason starts, every shift and every play counts. Assistant coach Greg May noted that this time of year is about playing with urgency — it’s not enough to be skilled; players have to show determination and a willingness to fight for every puck. That mindset is something Laitinen and the coaching staff are trying to emphasize as the team heads into the first round of the WCHA tournament.
This year’s Gophers roster is deeper and more experienced than in many recent seasons, partly because of the mix of veterans and younger players. With stints in world-class international competition behind them, Minnesota’s leaders know that consistency and resilience will be key in the weeks ahead. The competition in the WCHA is tough, and advancing in the playoffs will require the team to play its best hockey, shift after shift.
At its core, this season has been about growth and adjustment. Competing in the Olympics meant Minnesota was without several key contributors for part of the year, but that absence gave other players a chance to step up and contribute in meaningful ways. Now, with the full roster back together, the Gophers hope they can channel all of those experiences into a strong performance in the postseason.
For Laitinen, this stage is familiar — she’s been in high-pressure games before and wants to bring that calm confidence into Ridder Arena and beyond. As the playoffs begin, she and her teammates are focused on bringing their best effort to every game, knowing that in hockey, no two nights are the same and anything can happen when the puck drops.
