Olympic hockey match postponed after illness sidelines 13 players

6 Feb 2026 • 6:34 PM MYT
The Independent
The Independent

The world’s most free-thinking newspaper

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  • Finland's national women's hockey team had its opening Olympic preliminary-round game against Canada postponed due to a norovirus outbreak affecting 13 players.
  • The decision to reschedule the match to 12 February was made after Finland could only field eight skaters and two goalies for practice.
  • Opposing teams, including Canada, the Czech Republic, and the USA, expressed sympathy and supported the postponement, citing player welfare and the integrity of the competition.
  • Finnish coach Tero Lehterä emphasised the unfairness of asking his healthy players to compete and the risk of infecting Canadian opponents.
  • Olympic officials described the postponement as a "responsible and necessary decision" to ensure player health and fair play, with the norovirus outbreak isolated to the Finnish squad.

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