The Finnish men's national ice hockey team faced controversy at the beginning of the Olympic tournament, sparked by a report from Ilta-Sanomat claiming that leading players within the team had conversations last summer regarding NHL coach Paul Maurice's possible involvement in the Lions' coaching staff for the Olympics. There was speculation that Maurice could replace the current head coach Antti Pennanen following a disappointing opening match where Finland lost 1-4 to Slovakia. This loss intensified scrutiny on Pennanen's coaching capabilities.

In light of these developments, Kimmo Timonen, a longstanding figure in Finnish ice hockey and a representative of the Lions multiple times, shared his insights during the Kimanttia podcast. He stated that he had been informed that Paul Maurice had expressed interest in joining the Lions coaching team. According to Timonen, this proposal originated from Maurice himself and was communicated to leading players like Aleksander Barkov, rather than being presented by the Finnish team management.

This situation raises significant questions about the dynamics within the Finnish team and highlights potential leadership changes in response to performance under pressure. As the Finnish national team aims to navigate the challenges of the Olympics, the involvement of established NHL figures such as Maurice could change the outlook, but it also places additional pressure on the current coaching staff to perform better in upcoming matches.