Nelli Laitinen (born 29 April 2002) is a Finnish ice hockey player and member of the Finnish national team. She most recently served as a captain of the Minnesota Golden Gophers during the 2025–26 NCAA Division I women's ice hockey season.
| Nelli Laitinen | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Born |
29 April 2002 Lohja, Finland | ||
| Height | 1.69 m (5 ft 7 in) | ||
| Weight | 62 kg (137 lb; 9 st 11 lb) | ||
| Position | Defense | ||
| Shoots | Left | ||
| NCAA team Former teams |
Minnesota Golden Gophers Kiekko-Espoo KJT Kerava | ||
| National team |
 Finland | ||
| Playing career | 2017–present | ||
Playing career
editLaitinen began her college ice hockey career with the Minnesota Golden Gophers women's ice hockey program in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) conference of the NCAA Division I as an incoming freshman for the 2022–23 season.[1] Despite missing eight games due to an upper-body injury that kept her sidelined for two months, she tallied 18 points and ranked third for points of all team defenseman.[2] Her impressive first season was recognized with her selection to the Watch List for the Hockey Commissioners Association National Rookie of the Year and naming to the USCHO All-Rookie and the WCHA All-Rookie teams.[3][4]
Professional
editLaitinen was one of several Finnish players to declare for the 2026 PWHL Draft.[5]
International play
editAs a junior player with the Finnish national under-18 team, she participated in the IIHF U18 Women's World Championships in 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020.[6]
Laitinen made her senior national team debut at the 2018 4 Nations Cup in Saskatoon, Canada, where she contributed one assist in four games to Finland's bronze medal victory.[7][8] Later that season, she represented Finland at the 2019 IIHF Women's World Championship.[9] At sixteen years old, she was the youngest player on the team and 29 years younger than Finland's eldest player, Riikka Sallinen.[10] She recorded one assist in seven games as Finland won the first World Championship silver medal in team history.[11]
She won bronze medals representing Finland at the 2021 IIHF Women's World Championship and in the women's ice hockey tournament at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing.[12]
At the 2023 IIHF Women's World Championship, she notched 3 goals and 7 assists in seven games, ranking third on the team points table in a tie with forwards Noora Tulus and Viivi Vainikka, each scoring 10 points. Her totals ranked second of all Finnish defensemen, trailing captain Jenni Hiirikoski by just 1 assist.
On 2 January 2026, she was named to Finland's roster to compete at the 2026 Winter Olympics.[13] Laitinen served as an alternate captain during the Olympic ice hockey tournament.[14]
Personal life
editLaitinen's older brother, Vili (born 1999), is a professional ice hockey defenseman. He has played in the Finnish Liiga, the Danish Metal Ligaen, and with Italian clubs in the ICE Hockey League and Alps Hockey League. When she joined the Minnesota Golden Gophers, the jersey number 9, which she had worn in her career to that point, was already in use and she selected 7 as her new number because her brother had worn it in the past.[15]
In January 2022, she confirmed that she was in a relationship with NHL player Jesperi Kotkaniemi.[16]
She graduated with a bachelor's degree in business from the University of Minnesota in 2026. Swedish national team player Josefin Bouveng was one of her four roommates during her first year at the university.[15][17]
Career statistics
editRegular season and playoffs
editNaisten SM-sarja (NSMs) was rebranded as Naisten Liiga (NSML) in 2017 and Auroraliiga in 2024. Espoo Blues renamed as Kiekko-Espoo in 2019.
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 2016–17 | HAKI | N. Mestis | 8 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 0 | – | – | – | – | – | ||
| 2016–17 | HAKI | N. Suomi-sarja | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | – | – | – | – | – | ||
| 2016–17 | KJT (L) | NSMs | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||
| 2017–18 | HAKI U16 | U16 Mestis | 18 | 3 | 8 | 11 | 0 | – | – | – | – | – | ||
| 2017–18 | Espoo Blues | NSML | 11 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 10 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 2 | ||
| 2017–18 | KJT (L) | NSML | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – | – | – | – | ||
| 2018–19 | Espoo Blues | NSML | 27 | 12 | 27 | 39 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 0 | ||
| 2019–20 | Kiekko-Espoo | NSML | 28 | 7 | 24 | 31 | 12 | 6 | 6 | 8 | 14 | 6 | ||
| 2020–21 | Kiekko-Espoo | NSML | 24 | 13 | 24 | 37 | 20 | 10 | 1 | 6 | 7 | 6 | ||
| 2021–22 | Kiekko-Espoo | NSML | 23 | 7 | 24 | 31 | 16 | 10 | 8 | 13 | 21 | 8 | ||
| 2022–23 | Minnesota Golden Gophers | WCHA | 30 | 3 | 15 | 18 | 4 | – | – | – | – | — | ||
| 2023–24 | Minnesota Golden Gophers | WCHA | 39 | 6 | 17 | 23 | 10 | – | – | – | – | — | ||
| 2024–25 | Minnesota Golden Gophers | WCHA | 42 | 3 | 19 | 22 | 16 | – | – | – | – | — | ||
| 2025–26 | Minnesota Golden Gophers | WCHA | 33 | 10 | 20 | 30 | 2 | – | – | – | – | — | ||
| Naisten Liiga totals | 117 | 41 | 100 | 141 | 54 | 42 | 16 | 36 | 52 | 22 | ||||
| NCAA totals | 145 | 22 | 72 | 94 | 32 | – | – | – | – | – | ||||
Note: Postseason results for the 2016–17 season are from the qualification series (Finnish: Karsintasarja) rather than the playoffs and are not calculated with playoff totals.
Sources: Elite Prospects,[18] Finnish Ice Hockey Association,[19] University of Minnesota Athletics[20]
International
edit| Year | Team | Event | Result | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Finland | U18 | 5th | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | |
| 2018 | Finland | U18 | 5th | 5 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 0 | |
| 2019 | Finland | U18 |  |
6 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 3 | |
| 2019 | Finland | WC |  |
7 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| 2020 | Finland | U18 | 4th | 6 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 2 | |
| 2021 | Finland | WC | |
7 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | |
| 2022 | Finland | OG | |
7 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 4 | |
| 2022 | Finland | WC | 6th | 7 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 6 | |
| 2023 | Finland | WC | 5th | 7 | 3 | 7 | 10 | 2 | |
| 2024 | Finland | WC | |
7 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 4 | |
| 2025 | Finland | WC | |
7 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | |
| 2026 | Finland | OG | 6th | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Junior totals | 22 | 4 | 9 | 13 | 10 | ||||
| Senior totals | 54 | 8 | 23 | 31 | 22 | ||||
Sources: Finnish Ice Hockey Association,[19] International Ice Hockey Federation[6][21]
Honors and achievements
edit| Award | Period |
|---|---|
| International | |
| World U18 Top-3 Player on Team | 2018, 2019, 2020 |
| World U18 All-Star Team | 2019 |
| World U18 Bronze Medal | 2019 |
| World U18 Best Defenseman | 2020 |
| World Championship Silver Medal | 2019 |
| World Championship Bronze Medal | 2021, 2024, 2025 |
| Olympic Bronze Medal | 2022 |
| World Championship Top-3 Player on Team | 2024[22] |
| Minnesota Golden Gophers | |
| USCHO All-Rookie Team | 2022–23[23] |
| WCHA All-Conference Rookie Team | 2022–23[24] |
| National Rookie of the Year Watch List | 2022–23[25] |
| WCHA Defender of the Week | 23–29 October 2023[26] |
| WCHA All-Conference Second Team | 2023–24,[27] 2025–26[28] |
| AHCA All-American, Second Team | 2025–26[29] |
| Naisten Liiga | |
| All-Star First Team | 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 |
| Aurora Borealis Cup Champion | 2019, 2021, 2022 |
| Päivi Halonen Award (Best Defenseman) | 2020, 2021, 2022 |
| U18 Student Athlete | 2020 |
| Player of the Month | October 2020 |
| Karoliina Rantamäki Award (Playoff MVP) | 2022 |
See also
editReferences
edit- Aykroyd, Lucas (7 March 2023). "Laitinen's star on the rise". International Ice Hockey Federation. Retrieved 16 April 2023.
- ↑ "Gophers Add Laitinen to 2022–23 Signing Class". University of Minnesota Athletics. 17 January 2022. Archived from the original on 21 January 2022. Retrieved 21 January 2022.
- ↑ Schoenberg, Eitan (20 January 2023). "UMN women's hockey climbs to top of WCHA". The Minnesota Daily. Retrieved 16 April 2023.
- ↑ Aykroyd, Lucas (7 March 2023). "Laitinen's star on the rise". International Ice Hockey Federation. Retrieved 16 April 2023.
- ↑ Johnson, Randy (23 February 2023). "Taylor Heise, Grace Zumwinkle of Gophers named first-team All-WCHA". Star Tribune. Retrieved 16 April 2023.
- ↑ Kennedy, Ian (12 May 2026). "PWHL Unveils Full 2026 PWHL Draft Eligibility List". The Hockey News. Retrieved 30 May 2026.
- 1 2 Podnieks, Andrew; Nordmark, Birger, eds. (2019). "Active Skaters, Women". IIHF Guide & Record Book 2020. Toronto: Moydart. p. 653. ISBN 9780986796470.
- ↑ Viljanen, Markus (29 October 2018). "Naisleijonat vahvalla joukkueella 4 Nations Cupiin – mukana myös useampi 2000-luvulla syntynyt lupaus" [Naisleijonat has a strong team for the 4 Nations Cup – included several promising [players] born in the 21st century]. Jatkoaika.com (in Finnish). Archived from the original on 7 February 2023. Retrieved 28 March 2022.
- ↑ "2018 4 Nations Cup – Player Stats – Players (Points)". Hockey Canada. 10 November 2018. Archived from the original on 31 January 2021. Retrieved 28 March 2022.
- ↑ "Naisleijonien MM-joukkue yhtä vaille valmis – Kisojen alkuun kymmenen päivää" [Naisleijonat World Championship team is ready – Ten days to the start of the tournament]. leijonat.fi. Finnish Ice Hockey Association. 25 March 2019. Archived from the original on 18 May 2019. Retrieved 28 March 2022.
- ↑ Martela, Ille (5 April 2019). "16-vuotias Nelli Laitinen on ottanut paikkansa Naisleijonissa" [16-year-old Nelli Laitinen has taken her place with the Naisleijonat]. Jatkoaika.com (in Finnish). Archived from the original on 7 February 2023. Retrieved 28 March 2022.
- ↑ "2019 IIHF Ice Hockey Women's World Championship – Team Roster: FIN – Finland" (PDF). stats.iihf.com. International Ice Hockey Federation. 5 April 2019. Archived (PDF) from the original on 6 April 2019. Retrieved 4 January 2020.
- ↑ "Beijing 2022 – Althetes: Nelli LAITINEN, Ice Hockey". Olympics.com. Archived from the original on 13 March 2022. Retrieved 28 March 2022.
- ↑ "Naisleijonien olympiajoukkue valittu – Lehterä: "Meillä on mahdollisuus tehdä jotain erityistä"". Finnish Ice Hockey Association (in Finnish). 2 January 2026. Retrieved 2 January 2026.
- ↑ Roering, Samantha (27 February 2026). "Back from Milan, Nelli Laitinen looks to lead Gophers women's hockey into the postseason". The Minnesota Daily. Retrieved 28 February 2026.
- 1 2 Schoenberg, Eitan (6 February 2023). "9 to 7, Finland to Minnesota: Nelli Laitinen speaks on changes in hockey career". The Minnesota Daily. Retrieved 16 April 2023.
- ↑ Palojärvi, Otto (25 January 2022). "Naisleijonien suurlupaus pahoillaan NHL-poikaystävänsä puolesta". Sportti.com (in Finnish). Archived from the original on 7 February 2023. Retrieved 28 March 2022.
- ↑ Huttunen, Sasha (6 April 2023). "Nelli Laitinen muutti 20-vuotiaana Yhdysvaltoihin – perillä odotti iso shokki: "Ihan sama, oletko nainen vai mies"". Ilta-Sanomat (in Finnish). Retrieved 16 April 2023.
- ↑ "Player Profile: Nelli Laitinen". Elite Prospects. Archived from the original on 5 April 2022. Retrieved 14 September 2025.
- 1 2 "Pelaajakortti: Nelli Laitinen". Finnish Ice Hockey Association (in Finnish). Archived from the original on 7 February 2023. Retrieved 28 March 2022.
- ↑ "2025-26 Women's Hockey Roster: #7 Nelli Laitinen > Stats, Career". University of Minnesota Athletics. Retrieved 30 May 2026.
- ↑ "2023 IIHF Women's World Championship – Player Statistics by Team: FIN – Finland". International Ice Hockey Federation. 16 April 2023. Retrieved 16 April 2023.
- ↑ "2024 IIHF Ice Hockey Women's World Championship – Best Players of Each Team Selected by Coaches". International Ice Hockey Federation. 13 April 2024. Retrieved 16 April 2024.
- ↑ Haase, Nicole (31 March 2023). "Women's Division I College Hockey: 2022–23 All-USCHO Teams". U.S. College Hockey Online. Retrieved 16 April 2023.
- ↑ "2022–23 All-WCHA Teams Announced". Western Collegiate Hockey Association (Press release). 23 February 2023. Retrieved 16 April 2023.
- ↑ "Hockey Commissioners Association Releases National Women's Rookie of the Year 'Watch List'". Hockey Commissioners Association (Press release). 2 February 2023. Retrieved 16 April 2023.
- ↑ "Sterling Trophy WCHA Players of the Week announced for Oct. 23–29". Western Collegiate Hockey Association (Press release). 30 October 2023. Retrieved 7 December 2023.
- ↑ Kennedy, Ian (29 February 2024). "USA National Team Stars Highlight WCHA All-Star Teams". The Hockey News. Retrieved 4 March 2024.
- ↑ "All-WCHA Teams Announced for 2025-26". Western Collegiate Hockey Association (Press release). 26 February 2026. Retrieved 28 February 2026.
- ↑ "2026 All-American Teams". American Hockey Coaches Association (Press release). Retrieved 30 May 2026.
- ↑ Suomen Jääkiekkoliitto; Liiga. Aaltonen, Juha (ed.). "Jääkiekkokirja 2019–2020" (PDF). Jääkiekkokirja (in Finnish). Helsinki: Uusi Suomi/Kiekkolehti: 554. ISSN 0784-3321. OCLC 476321083. Archived (PDF) from the original on 17 June 2020. Retrieved 13 November 2020.
- ↑ Suomen Jääkiekkoliitto; Jääkiekkon SM-liiga Oy (2020). Aaltonen, Juha (ed.). "Jääkiekkokirja 2021: Suomen Jääkiekkoliiton ja Liiga Kausijulkaisu 2020–2021" (PDF). Jääkiekkokirja (in Finnish). Helsinki: Uusi Suomi/Kiekkolehti: 528. ISSN 0784-3321. Archived (PDF) from the original on 5 December 2020. Retrieved 13 November 2020.
- ↑ Mennander, Pasi (15 March 2021). "Naisten Liigan kauden 2020–21 palkitut pelaajat ja tähtikentät". Finnish Ice Hockey Association (in Finnish). Archived from the original on 3 March 2021. Retrieved 16 March 2021.
External links
edit- Biographical information and career statistics from Eliteprospects.com, or Eurohockey.com
- Nelli Laitinen at Milano Cortina 2026
- Nelli Laitinen at Olympics.com
- Nelli Laitinen at Olympedia
- Nelli Laitinen at InterSportStats
- Nelli Laitinen at Olympiakomitea.fi (in Finnish)
- Nelli Laitinen on Instagram
