Lehkonen's father missed Olympic overtime goal while broadcasting different game

MILAN -- Ismo Lehkonen was watching Finland's practice on the eve of the semifinals against Canada at the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026. With a smile on his face he recounted that he had not seen his son, Finland forward Artturi Lehkonen, score the overtime goal in Finland's 3-2 victory against Switzerland in the quarterfinals Wednesday.

Lehkonen may have been at Santagiulia Arena because of his professional obligations Wednesday, but his heart was in a different part of the city at Rho Arena.

"I was covering the game between Canada and Czechia on Wednesday afternoon when Artturi was playing in the other arena in Milan," he said. "I heard about the final result while I was on air talking about Canada's dramatic win.

"A colleague let me know that Artturi had just scored the winning goal in overtime. I was keeping an eye on that game but I didn't have time to follow it closely. My wife was at Rho with the rest of the family, but I wasn't there."

Ismo Lehkonen is a TV analyst for Finland's national broadcaster (Yle Urheilu). Three of the four quarterfinal games were played at Santagiulia Arena; the Finland-Switzerland game was the only one played at Rho Arena.

"I didn't see the goal live, but they say 3 million Finns watched the game on TV," Ismo Lehkonen said. "That's kind of crazy when you consider our population is just 5.5 million people. Hockey is a religion for us, just like it is for Canada.

"I was really nervous during the game. I was working, but I was thinking about Finland against Switzerland. This is Artturi's first Olympic experience. His generation has been waiting a long time for this opportunity. They missed two Olympic cycles."

In overtime, Artturi Lehkonen came through for an entire country with a shot over the glove of Switzerland goalie Leonardo Genoni on a breakaway.

"I was happy for the team, I wasn't happier because Artturi scored," the 62-year-old father said. "It doesn't matter who scored. That might sound like a cliche, but it's true.

"I didn't speak to Artturi after the game. I left him in his bubble. I didn't want to disturb him. He's playing well, he doesn't need his father."

Lehkonen's overtime goal capped Finland's rally from a 2-0 third-period deficit. Sebastian Aho and Miro Heiskanen scored in the final 6:06 of regulation to force overtime.

The Olympic quarterfinals is not the first time Lehkonen has scored a big goal in a big spot.

He scored in overtime in Game 4 of the 2022 Western Conference Final to clinch the series for the Colorado Avalanche. Then three weeks later, he scored the Stanley Cup-clinching goal against the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 6 of the Final.

And in Game 6 of the 2021 Stanley Cup Semifinals, he scored in overtime to send the Montreal Canadiens to the Cup Final.

Artturi Lehkonen humbly offered a brief explanation for his success in the spotlight Thursday.

"It was nice to score against Switzerland," he said. "I don't have a lot of time to think on the ice. I just want to play. I was happy when I saw the puck go in the net."

Ismo Lehkonen, for his part, reached into the past to provide some insight about his son's ability to rise to the moment.

"Everybody asks me this question," the elder Lehkonen said. "What does Artturi do to raise his game in those moments? I don't have a definitive answer. I like going back to his childhood. He always wanted to win, whatever sport he was playing. He had the same intensity when he was playing badminton, tennis, street hockey or soccer. I watched him play and he wanted to win no matter what. In his mind, it was overtime every time he played."

None of the Finland players were surprised Lehkonen played the hero's role in the quarterfinals.

"That was a big goal Wednesday," Finland captain Mikael Granlund said. "He's scored them throughout his career."

Added goalie Juuse Saros: "I have played with him and against him since we were kids. I've always liked his game. He has the details and the character to lift his game when everything is at stake."

Finland will face Canada in the semifinals at Santagiulia Arena on Friday (10:40 a.m. ET; Peacock, USA [JIP], ICI Tele, CBC Gem, CBC, SN [JIP], RDS2), with a trip to the gold medal game at stake. And Ismo Lehkonen believes the Finns can pull off an upset.

"It's just one game," he said. "Anything can happen. Finland has several players who have won the Stanley Cup, the (IIHF) World Championship or the (IIHF) World Junior Championship. They know how to win. They also know they have a chance.

"They are aware that their team is not as talented as Canada, but they're not worried. They know that if they do their job, they could cause a surprise."