How Grizzlies coach Tuomas Iisalo influenced Finland’s Olympic hockey team
Finland's head coach Antti Pennanen looks up during a preliminary round match of men's ice hockey between Finland and Sweden at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy, on Feb. 13. (Hassan Ammar/AP)
Before the Memphis Grizzlies play basketball Friday night against the Utah Jazz, there’s another game Grizzlies head coach Tuomas Iisalo will watch closely.
No, it’s not a basketball game.
It’s the Olympic men’s hockey semifinal game between his home country, Finland, and juggernaut Canada.
This is an excerpt of this story. To read more, please click here and subscribe.
Topics
Tuomas Iisalo Winter Olympics Memphis Grizzlies Subscriber OnlyThank you for being a subscriber to The Daily Memphian. Your support is critical.
As a 501(c)3 nonprofit news organization with a hybrid business model, we rely on a mix of revenue from subscriptions (50%), advertising, events and miscellaneous earned income (25%) and fundraising (25%).
Please consider making a fully tax-deductible donation or other contribution to The Daily Memphian today.
👉 Your subscription pays for you to read all our journalism.
👉 Your donation powers the work we do to reach everyone else with the news.
We believe an informed Memphis is a better Memphis. If you agree, join our growing list of donors now.
Drew Hill
Drew Hill covers the Memphis Grizzlies and is a top-10 APSE winner. He has worked throughout the South writing about college athletics before landing in Memphis.
Comments
Want to comment on our stories or respond to others? Join the conversation by subscribing now. Only paid subscribers can add their thoughts or upvote/downvote comments. Our commenting policy can be viewed here.