Finland's Ronja Savolainen, left, and Blayre Turnbull of Canada eye the puck during the semi-final at the Women's Ice Hockey Championships in Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic, in April, 2025.Petr David Josek/The Associated Press
A second hockey team has been hit with norovirus at the Olympics, raising questions about whether the illness is spreading inside the athletes village and if more games in the women’s tournament will have to be postponed.
The Swiss women’s hockey team pulled out of the opening ceremony of the Milan Cortina Winter Games on Friday after one of its players tested positive for norovirus. Swiss officials then sent the entire roster into isolation to prevent further spread of the illness.
In a statement, the Swiss Olympic Committee said the player tested positive for the virus earlier in the day, after Switzerland beat Czechia 4-3 in a shootout.
The outbreak has emerged as an unexpected crisis at the Milan Cortina Olympics amid concerns that it could disrupt both the women’s and men’s hockey tournaments, along with other events held in Milan, if it is not brought under control. Dozens of NHL players representing Canada, the United States, Sweden, Finland, Switzerland, Germany, Czechia and other countries are expected to begin arriving in Milan this weekend.
Swiss officials said the player was isolated from the team in the athletes village and has been without symptoms since Friday morning.
“The athlete’s positive test result was only revealed after today’s victory,” the Swiss statement said. “As a precaution, the team was isolated after the match, in close collaboration with the on-site medical team and following consultation with experts.”
Organizers have been scrambling to brief teams on the situation after Finland’s women’s hockey roster was hit hard by the virus this week.
Norovirus is a form of serious stomach flu that is highly contagious. It tends to spread in crowded, contained spaces, such as cruise ships, and the illness can last several days, leaving those affected depleted and exhausted. However, outbreaks can be brought under control by isolating those who test positive, hand washing and strict hygiene, including avoiding touching the face and mouth.
On Thursday, Canada and Finland were forced to postpone their opening game at the Olympics because several Finnish players were stricken with norovirus.
Team Canada general manager Gina Kingsbury told reporters Thursday night that the decision to postpone the Finland game was made in the spirit of the Olympics, and also to ensure that Canadian players weren’t needlessly exposed.
Canada is scheduled to play Switzerland on Saturday and, as of late Friday night in Milan, the match was said to be going ahead.
In announcing the postponement of Canada’s game against Finland until next Thursday, the Milan Cortina organizing committee issued a joint statement with the International Olympic Committee, the International Ice Hockey Federation, Team Finland and Team Canada.
“The decision was taken following consultations with medical professionals after cases of norovirus were identified within Team Finland,” the statement said.
“It was made collectively and in accordance with established health and safety principles, with the health and well-being of players, team staff, officials and all tournament participants as the highest priority.”
Finland’s situation began to improve Friday as the team practised with 14 players from a roster of 23. That included seven forwards, four defence and three goalies. The other nine Finnish players were either quarantined with norovirus or being isolated as a precaution.
That was an improvement on Thursday, when Finland had 13 players sidelined with the illness or due to concerns that they had been exposed, and only 10 players were able to practise.
Finland head coach Tero Lehtera said Friday that he expects Saturday’s game against the United States to go ahead, even if he has to use the minimum number of players required under international rules.
“We’re going to play tomorrow no matter what. If we’ve got five players, one goalie, we’re going to show up,” Lehtera said. “That’s the rule, five plus one.”
It likely won’t come to that.
“We’re hopeful things are looking a little bit better, but you never know in this situation what’s going to happen,” Lehtera said.
Showing he has a sense of humour amid what is turning into a worrisome situation in Milan, Lehtera suggested that if his roster were to drop to the bare minimum, Finland would probably not bother practising its power play
“If it’s going to be five plus one, we’re probably not going to have the special-teams meetings,” he quipped.
Finland was the bronze-medal winner at the 2022 Beijing Olympics. Lehtera said the situation this week has been tough for the team to deal with.
“It was disappointing because we wanted to start the tournament. We were really excited to come here and wanted to play. But the situation is what it is,” he said.
Finland’s general manger, Kimmo Oikarinen, said the team does not want to forfeit any of its games.
“Forfeit is the last thing we want to do,” Oikarinen said. “I do not see that happening. I strongly believe we will play. The spirits are positive.”
Oikarinen said there was good communication with Canadian officials on the extent of the problem.
“They understood that if we played with seven or eight or nine players, there is a risk for Team Canada,” Oikarinen said.
Finnish defender Jenni Hiirikoski said she wasn’t sure how short-handed the team would be against the U.S. Saturday, but appreciated Canada’s decision to postpone.
“It’s really nice that they have changed the date so that everybody can play,” Hiirikoski said, adding that much of what happens now is out of the team’s control.
“You need to make the best out of it. That’s it.”