NHL News: Stars’ Miro Heiskanen drops game-changing knee recovery news and bold 2026 Olympic Gold claim for Finland

Dallas Stars defenseman Miro Heiskanen is back at full strength after a knee injury cut short his regular season and sidelined him for a portion of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs. The 26-year-old Finn confirmed he’s “100 percent back to normal” following surgery and a full offseason of recovery.

That return to form is welcome news for the Stars — and for Team Finland, who are ramping up preparations ahead of the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milano Cortina.

“I’m 100 percent back to normal after the surgery,” Heiskanen said, according to NHL.com. “I’ve been able to practice all summer as usual.”

How important is Heiskanen’s return for Finland’s Olympic hopes?

Heiskanen’s knee injury — suffered in a collision with Vegas’ Mark Stone on Jan. 28 — forced him out for the final 32 games of the regular season and 10 playoff contests. Without him, Dallas fell to the Oilers in five games in the Western Conference Final. The timing also ruled him out of the 4 Nations Face-Off, where Finland went 1-2-0 without their top blueliner.

Craig Smith #15 of the Dallas Stars is congratulated by Miro Heiskanen #4 and Thomas Harley #55 after scoring Smith scored a goal during the first period against the Los Angeles Kings at American Airlines Center on March 16, 2024 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Sam Hodde/Getty Images)

Now back in full training and participating in Finland’s Olympic orientation camp in Helsinki, Heiskanen brings elite-level stability to the national team. “It’s always nice to see Finnish players,” he said. “We all know each other pretty well… Good to know things, don’t need to worry about what will happen [in Italy].”

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With NHL players returning to Olympic competition for the first time since 2014, Finland’s blue line gains significant strength with Heiskanen anchoring the back end.

Can Finland repeat its Olympic success with NHL stars back?

Heiskanen knows what it takes on the international stage. He played for Finland in PyeongChang 2018 and now joins an experienced core already named to the 2026 squad: Mikko Rantanen, Esa Lindell, Aleksander Barkov, Juuse Saros, and Sebastian Aho.

While expectations are high, the defenseman isn’t fazed. “No pressure from defending the gold medal,” Heiskanen said. “Of course we want to win again, but we don’t think about it too much. We take one game at a time.”