Ducks’ Mikael Granlund to join Finland’s World Championship team

Some reinforcements are joining the Leijonat for one of the biggest tournaments in the world.

On Saturday, Finnish Men’s National Team general manager Jere Lethinen confirmed that Anaheim Ducks forward Mikael Granlund will be joining Finland for the remainder of the 2026 IIHF Men’s World Championship in Switzerland.

Letheinen noted that Granlund will be joining the team in Zurich next Wednesday, meaning he could be available to play in the Finns’ third game of the opening round against Latvia on Thursday.

Granlund became available after he and his Anaheim Ducks were eliminated from the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Ducks made it as far as the second round, eliminating the Edmonton Oilers before bowing out ot the Vegas Golden Knights in six games. The 34-year-old scored five goals and 10 points in 12 games, tied for fourth on the team in scoring. It followed a solid regular season for the veteran, as he scored 19 goals and 41 points in 58 games, helping Anaheim reach the postseason for the first time since 2018.

This will be Granlund’s eighth appearance at the world championships, and the first since 2024. He has helped his country win gold twice, last doing so in 2022, while also taking home a silver medal in 2016. He was on the Suomi roster this past February at the Winter Olympics, playing an important role in helping the team win the bronze medal for the second time in his career, and the first since the 2014 Winter Games, the last time NHLers were eligible to participate before this year.

Finland has already begun its quest for a medal in Switzerland. On Saturday, the team opened Group A play with a solid 4-1 win. They face the United States in a highly anticipated matchup on Monday before Granlund arrives.