Jenni Hiirikoski


Jenni Hiirikoski is a Finnish ice hockey player who serves as captain of Luleå HF in the Swedish Women’s Hockey League and of the Finnish national team. She is widely considered one of the best ice hockey defencemen in the world.
Representing Finland she has won two Olympic bronze medals, one at the 2010 Winter Olympics and one at the 2018 Winter Olympics; she also competed with the Finnish national team in the tournament at the 2014 Winter Olympics where Finland placed fifth. Hiirikoski has competed in eleven IIHF World Women's Championships and she won a silver medal at the 2018 Championship and bronze medals at the tournaments in 2004, 2008, 2009, 2015, and 2017.

Playing career

Hiirikoski’s grew up in Lempäälä, Finland, and played youth ice hockey with the local club Lempäälän Kisa.
She began her premiere league career in 2001 with the Tampereen Ilves of the Naisten SM-sarja. With Ilves she won the Finnish Championship in 2006 and Finnish Championship silver medals in 2004 and 2005.
After achieving Finnish Championship gold with Ilves, Hiirikoski joined the 2006-07 Espoo Blues which had a roster overflowing with talent; in addition to Hiirikoski the team included Karoliina Rantamäki, Noora Räty, Emma Terho, Marjo Voutilainen and other all-stars of the Finnish national team. With so much accumulated skill, it is no surprise that the Espoo Blues were the Finnish Champions in 2007.
Hiirikoski returned to Ilves for the 2007–08 season and won her third Finnish Championship silver medal with them in 2008.
For the 2008–09 season Hiirikoski joined her first club outside of Finland, signing with SKIF Nizhny Novgorod in the Russian Women's Hockey League. The roster included two other Finns, her teammates from the Espoo Blues Karoliina Rantamäki and Marjo Voutilainen. The team was dominant and won both the Russian Championship and the 2009 IIHF European Women’s Champions Cup.

Olympics statistics

Awards and honors

;IIHF World Women's Championships 2017
;IIHF World Women's Championships 2016
;IIHF World Women's Championships 2015
;IIHF World Women's Championships 2013
;IIHF World Women's Championships 2012
;IIHF World Women's Championships 2009
;IIHF European Women's Champions Cup 2008–09