Olli Maatta will resume his season on Saturday. The veteran defenceman has had a busy and impressive last few weeks during the 4 Nations Face-Off.
Maatta Strong in 4 Nations
A 5-3 loss to Team Canada in the 4 Nations Face-Off eliminated Team Finland, but there was still one player that really stood out. The Utah Hockey Club defenceman had a great tournament on both ends of the ice. With the Finnish blue line short-handed because of injuries to Dallas Stars and Philadelphia Flyers defencemen Miro Heiskanen and Rasmus Ristolainen, Maatta needed to take on a larger role throughout the event.
Despite the increased responsibility, the 30-year-old handled the pressure and provided stability to Finland’s backend. Maatta’s strong play in the 4 Nations could benefit himself and Utah for the rest of the regular season. He will need to, especially with the playoffs within reach.
Stepped up for Suomi
Maatta played in all three of Finland’s games in the 4 Nations Face-Off, against Team USA, Team Sweden and Team Canada. He arguably played his best game of the tournament in Finland’s 4-3 overtime win over the Swedes. Maatta recorded a primary assist with a perfect pass to Aleksander Barkov, which tied the game 3-3 in the third period.
The Finnish captain joins in on the fun!
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The former first-round pick and two-time Stanley Cup champion with the Pittsburgh Penguins logged big minutes for Finland. He was on the ice for 21:57 against the United States and 21:07 against Sweden, including time on Finland’s penalty kill. Maatta was key in breaking up multiple plays by the opposition’s best players.
This was the first time the NHL’s best faced each other since the 2016 World Cup of Hockey, so the pace of the games were high. Maatta handled it very well.
Not only was Maatta excellent defensively, he led the way offensively as well. Maatta had four blocked shots during the 4 Nations, two against the USA and Canada. Already known for his defensive prowess, Maatta’s offensive numbers were surprising. The Jyvaskyla native led all Finnish defencemen in points, recording two assists in three games.
The last time Maatta represented Finland in a major tournament was at the 2024 IIHF World Championship in Czechia.
He has never been known for his offence, but the way Maatta filled in for Heiskanen and produced is a good sign for himself and Utah. His career high in points is 29, which Maatta has done on two separate occasions, in 2014 and 2018. Thanks to Utah’s many injuries on defence, Maatta already knows how to jump into a more significant role. Perhaps that made the situation on Team Finland easier.
Does This Help Utah
This season, Maatta has just 12 points in 53 games, while blocking 102 shots with an average of 20:09 of ice time. The offensive numbers are not high, but his play at the 4 Nations could rub off on his play with Utah. Maatta has a career high 75 giveaways this season, so he needs to keep that number low going forward.
The Hockey Club recently got word that Sean Durzi will return from a shoulder injury on Saturday, a defenceman Utah has needed all season. Even with Durzi returning, Maatta carrying his offence from the tournament over to NHL play would add even more to Utah’s defence. That was the main reason why Utah acquired Maatta from the Detroit Red Wings back in October.
Utah is right in the middle of a fight for the wild card, six points behind the Vancouver Canucks. Regardless of all the injuries this season, Maatta and others must step up for the remaining 26 games. A postseason appearance in the franchise’s inaugural season would be a special accomplishment for Utah.
Main Photo: David Kirouac- Imagn Images
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