The most awarded defender, men or women, is Finland’s Jenni Hiirikoski.
photo: Andre Ringuette / HHOF-IIHF Images
Any discussion of the best players in the women’s game usually, and rightfully, focuses on the North Americans. But two things are also just as certain. Finland’s defenceman Jenni Hiirikoski is the greatest female player to come out of Europe, and she is without doubt the one European player who could easily make the Canadian or American national teams and still be a star.
And as for pure skating ability? No one can compare. No one.
Hiirikoski played her first game for Finland a day after her 17th birthday at the 2004 Women’s Worlds in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. From that day to this she has played in every major tournament for the Naisleijona except the 2006 Olympics in Turin, which she missed because of injury.
It is easy to spot Hiirikoski when she’s on the ice. She doesn’t skate so much as glide, and her ability to accelerate from a stationary position to full flight happens in the blink of an eye. It looks so natural and effortless, but when you look around you realize only she is able to skate like this.
Because she’s a defender and because of her skating and exceptional puck-handling, Hiirikoski is first and foremost a playmaker. She moves the puck out of her end with incredible speed and poise, and her pinpoint passing is a form of offensive threat in itself.
Of course, she is the quarterback on the team’s power play, able to fire a hard shot on goal or find an open player to the side of the net.
Her superior skating is also clear when she moves seamlessly forward to back, or vice versa, in one stride. Caught out of position, she can make the transition and recover before you even know she was in trouble. And if she breaks up a play, she can move to the attack in one powerful stride.
Hiirikoski helped Finland win bronze at her first tournament in 2004, and in all she has won six bronze at the Women’s Worlds and two more at the Olympics. But her greatest memory to date is surely the 2019 WW which was played on home ice, in Espoo, last year. The Finns stunned Canada in the semi-finals and advanced to the gold medal game for the first time, and only a disallowed goal in overtime prevented the team from winning it all.
She was named team captain in 2012 and has worn the C ever since, and in 2009 she was named IIHF Directorate Best Defenceman for the first time. She has earned that distinction seven times, more than any other player, male or female, past or present. She was also given two such honours at the 2014 and 2018 Olympics, and last year she was also named tournament MVP.
A sure Hall of Famer when she retires, Hiirikoski is not just a superstar in the game. She is a pleasure to watch, a ballerina on blades, and a competitor of the first order. Fans have every right to want to see a classic Canada-United States game, but they should never pass up the chance to watch Finland’s number 6 in action either. She’s that good.
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And as for pure skating ability? No one can compare. No one.
Hiirikoski played her first game for Finland a day after her 17th birthday at the 2004 Women’s Worlds in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. From that day to this she has played in every major tournament for the Naisleijona except the 2006 Olympics in Turin, which she missed because of injury.
It is easy to spot Hiirikoski when she’s on the ice. She doesn’t skate so much as glide, and her ability to accelerate from a stationary position to full flight happens in the blink of an eye. It looks so natural and effortless, but when you look around you realize only she is able to skate like this.
Because she’s a defender and because of her skating and exceptional puck-handling, Hiirikoski is first and foremost a playmaker. She moves the puck out of her end with incredible speed and poise, and her pinpoint passing is a form of offensive threat in itself.
Of course, she is the quarterback on the team’s power play, able to fire a hard shot on goal or find an open player to the side of the net.
Her superior skating is also clear when she moves seamlessly forward to back, or vice versa, in one stride. Caught out of position, she can make the transition and recover before you even know she was in trouble. And if she breaks up a play, she can move to the attack in one powerful stride.
Hiirikoski helped Finland win bronze at her first tournament in 2004, and in all she has won six bronze at the Women’s Worlds and two more at the Olympics. But her greatest memory to date is surely the 2019 WW which was played on home ice, in Espoo, last year. The Finns stunned Canada in the semi-finals and advanced to the gold medal game for the first time, and only a disallowed goal in overtime prevented the team from winning it all.
She was named team captain in 2012 and has worn the C ever since, and in 2009 she was named IIHF Directorate Best Defenceman for the first time. She has earned that distinction seven times, more than any other player, male or female, past or present. She was also given two such honours at the 2014 and 2018 Olympics, and last year she was also named tournament MVP.
A sure Hall of Famer when she retires, Hiirikoski is not just a superstar in the game. She is a pleasure to watch, a ballerina on blades, and a competitor of the first order. Fans have every right to want to see a classic Canada-United States game, but they should never pass up the chance to watch Finland’s number 6 in action either. She’s that good.
Click here for the overview of stories.
Captain Jenni Hiirikoski has led Finland to many bronze medals and recently even to a historic gold medal game participation.
photo: Matt Zambonin / HHOF-IIHF Images