The 4 Nations tournament began with Team Sweden taking an overtime loss to Team Canada on Wednesday night. This opening contest provided a ton of excitement. And it rose the anticipation level for Thursday when Team USA would meet Team Finland. The Americans entered the tournament as the favorites. But it was Finland's Henri Jokiharju who fired the first salvo.

Jokiharju skated along the end boards in the offensive zone. He received a pass from Mikael Granlund and waited. The Buffalo Sabres defenseman picked his spot and did not miss. The puck went behind USA star Connor Hellebuyck as Team Finland stunned Team USA with the opening goal.

The Americans tied it up after this. Brady Tkachuk scored to pull the Stars and Stripes level at one. However, this goal certainly made a statement as Team Finland does not appear likely to roll over in the 4 Nations tournament.

Related NewsArticle continues below
The NHL may bring two expansion teams into the fold in the foreseeable future
NHL news: Insider drops reality check on NHL expansion concerns
ClutchPoints presents its fourth 2025 NHL Mock Draft after the NHL Trade Deadline.
2025 NHL Mock Draft 4.0: Post-NHL Trade Deadline predictions
Dan Friedkin next to NHL logo
NHL rumors: Houston expansion buzz heats up with billionare with Euro soccer ties

Team Finland's initial roster included some impressive names entering the 4 Nations. However, they lost a major piece before the tournament began. Dallas Stars defenseman Miro Heiskanen suffered a brutal knee injury that has kept him out of action for some time.

Still, competing with the Americans would be a tall task. They are widely considered the favorites to win the entire event. They boast some of the biggest stars in the game at this time. In fact, Hellebuyck may be the best goalie in the world, given his play for the Winnipeg Jets this season. He is a major reason the Jets look the part of a true Stanley Cup contender this season.

In any event, Team Finland came to play at the 4 Nations. Henri Jokiharju's goal shows that Suomi is not going down without a fight on the ice. It will certainly be interesting to see if they can pull off a major upset on Thursday and take down the Americans.