Susanna Tapani Bio
Susanna Jenni “Suski” Tapani (born 2 March 1993) is a Finnish multi-sport athlete who competes in ice hockey, ringette, and in-line hockey. She plays professional ice hockey for the Boston Fleet of the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) and represents Finland on both the national ice hockey and ringette stages. Standing 1.77 m tall and listed at 65 kg, Tapani is a centre who shoots left and is widely regarded as one of the most decorated Finnish players of her generation.
Early Life and Background
Susanna Tapani was born on 2 March 1993 in Laitila, a small town in southwestern Finland. She grew up in a household with strong ties to ringette, as her mother played the sport and introduced her daughter to it at a young age. Tapani began playing organized ringette at around age five or six, an early start that laid the foundation for a dual-sport career in both ringette and ice hockey.
Her hometown and family environment encouraged athletic development from childhood, and by her early teens Tapani was already competing at high levels in both sports. She later pursued her education at the Turku University of Applied Sciences, where she studied sports management while continuing her playing career in Finland and abroad.
Path to Hockey
Tapani’s path into elite hockey began in the Finnish women’s top flight, the Naisten Liiga, where she suited up for TPS Naiset, Lukko Naiset, Espoo Blues Naiset, and HPK Kiekkonaiset. She expanded her résumé internationally in the Swedish Women’s Hockey League (SDHL) with Linköping HC Dam and, in the United States, joined the North Dakota Fighting Hawks women’s ice hockey program for the 2013–14 NCAA Division I season. A short stint with the KRS Vanke Rays of the Russian Zhenskaya Hockey League (ZhHL) during the 2021–22 campaign added a further international chapter.
At the junior international level, Tapani made three appearances for Finland at the IIHF Women’s World U18 Championship in 2009, 2010, and 2011, taking home a bronze medal at the 2011 event. She debuted for the senior Finnish national team shortly afterward and has represented Finland at every IIHF Women’s World Championship since 2011, with the exception of the 2016 tournament.
Susanna Tapani Career
Early Career (2011–2013)
Tapani’s professional career began in 2011 in the Naisten Liiga, where she developed her game with several Finnish clubs and quickly established herself as a reliable centre. Her early years were split between senior club play in Finland and junior international duty, giving her a steady stream of high-level games against older competition. She also emerged as a leading figure in Finnish ringette, debuting in the Ringeten SM-sarja at age sixteen with Raision Nuorisokiekko and contributing to a Finnish Championship in 2011.
By the time she transitioned to North American hockey in 2013, Tapani had already become a regular for the senior Finnish national team and a captain-in-waiting at her ringette club. Her balanced foundation in both sports helped shape the two-way, physical style she would later showcase at the international level.
NCAA and Sweden Breakthrough (2013–2021)
During the 2013–14 NCAA Division I women’s ice hockey season, Tapani played for the North Dakota Fighting Hawks, gaining her first sustained exposure to the North American game. She returned to Europe and joined Linköping HC Dam in the SDHL, continuing her growth as a top-six centre and power-play contributor. Across this period she also served as captain of RNK Raisio in the Ringeten SM-sarja, beginning a long leadership run that lasted through the 2022–23 season.
On the international stage, Tapani’s scoring touch blossomed. At the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, she tied Riikka Välilä for third on the Finnish scoring list with 5 points in six games. Four years later, at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, she helped Finland capture a bronze medal, adding 5 more points. She was a driving force at the 2017 IIHF Women’s World Championship, leading Finland in scoring and finishing fifth overall in the tournament with 9 points in 5 games. As of 2020, she ranked sixth in all-time points for the Finnish women’s national team, with 147 points across 179 top-division matches.
PWHL Minnesota Era (2023–2024)
Tapani entered the Professional Women’s Hockey League in 2023, when she was selected in the fifth round, 25th overall, by PWHL Minnesota in the 2023 PWHL Draft. She became the first Finnish player ever drafted by a PWHL team, sharing the milestone with fellow Finn Minttu Tuominen. She signed a two-year contract with Minnesota that ran through the 2024–25 season.
In her shortened stint with Minnesota, Tapani posted two goals and three assists in nine games before the club made league history. On 11 February 2024, she was traded to PWHL Boston, along with defender Abby Cook, in exchange for Sophie Jaques, marking the PWHL’s first-ever trade.
Boston Fleet Era (2024–Present)
After joining the Boston Fleet mid-season, Tapani settled in quickly and produced a strong 2024–25 campaign. She recorded 11 goals and 7 assists in 30 games, ranking third on the team in scoring with 18 points. On 17 June 2025, she signed a one-year contract extension with the Fleet, committing her to the organization through the following season.
Her tenure in Boston has coincided with a wider leadership role for Finland. On 2 January 2026, she was named to Finland’s roster for the 2026 Winter Olympics, extending her run of Olympic appearances that began in Sochi in 2014.
Driving Style and Strengths
Tapani combines the physical, north-south style of men’s professional hockey with the playmaking instincts of a top-line centre. Long-time Liiga player Jonne Virtanen, who trained alongside her in a high-performance group led by Ismo Lehkonen, once described her as the best female player he had ever seen, citing her strength and toughness. Her ability to play through contact, win board battles, and still create offense at the international level makes her a unique two-way presence in women’s hockey.
Notable Events and Milestones
Tapani’s signature moments include her Olympic bronze medals in 2018 and 2022, where she led Finland in scoring at the Beijing Games with 8 points in 7 games. She is also the first Finnish player drafted by a PWHL team, the central figure in the PWHL’s first-ever trade, and the subject of the Finnish documentary Jäänsärkijä (“Icebreaker”), which followed her dual-sport career from 2015 to 2019. In 2024, she was inducted into the inaugural class of the Finnish Ringette Hall of Fame and earned the honorary title Jääsärkija, meaning “Ice Breaker.”
Susanna Tapani Career Wins
Across ice hockey and ringette, Susanna Tapani has built a résumé that includes two Olympic bronze medals, multiple World Championship medals, and several senior club championships in Finland.
International Ice Hockey Highlights
With the Finnish national women’s team, Tapani has won Olympic bronze in 2018 and 2022 and World Championship bronze in 2019 and 2021, in addition to further World Championship medals in 2011, 2015, 2017, 2024, and 2025. She led Finland in scoring at the 2017 IIHF Women’s World Championship and again at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing. Her consistent offensive production places her among the most accomplished Finnish women’s hockey players in history.
Finnish Ringette Highlights
In ringette, Tapani has won senior World Championship gold with Finland in 2010, 2016, 2017, 2019, and 2022, and Finnish Championship titles with RNK Flyers in 2011, 2017, and 2023. She led SM Ringette in scoring three times and won the Agnes Jacks Trophy as league MVP six times. She was also named to the SM Ringette All-Star team eight times across her first fifteen seasons.
Junior Ringette Performances
At the junior level, Tapani starred at the 2009 inaugural IRF U-19 World Ringette Championships, leading all skaters in scoring with 24 points in 8 games and earning tournament MVP honors as Finland’s Team White Stars won gold. She added a silver medal at the 2012 World Junior Ringette Championships, underscoring her long record of success on the international ringette stage.
Susanna Tapani Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Tapani comes from a sporting family in Laitila, Finland. Her mother played ringette and was the person who first introduced her to the sport, sparking the multi-sport career that has defined her life. The early family influence on the ice remains a defining part of Tapani’s athletic story.
Personal Life
Off the ice, Tapani studied sports management at the Turku University of Applied Sciences, balancing her academic work with a demanding professional schedule in two sports. She is the subject of the Finnish documentary Jäänsärkijä (“Icebreaker”), which traces her life as she competes in elite ringette, ice hockey, and in-line hockey between 2015 and 2019. She continues to live and train in Finland while playing professionally in North America.
2025 Season Performance
Tapani’s 2024–25 campaign with the Boston Fleet marked her first full PWHL season after being acquired in the league’s inaugural trade. She produced 11 goals and 7 assists in 30 games, totaling 18 points and ranking third on the Fleet in scoring. Her offensive consistency helped establish Boston as a competitive club in the league’s second season.
On 17 June 2025, Tapani signed a one-year contract extension with the Fleet, signalling the club’s intent to build around her veteran presence. Her role as a top-line centre, power-play contributor, and Finnish national team leader continues to shape both her club and international outlook.
Looking ahead, Tapani was named to Finland’s roster for the 2026 Winter Olympics on 2 January 2026, giving her a chance to chase a third Olympic medal. With the Fleet extension in hand and another Olympic cycle ahead, her 2025 form sets the stage for a high-impact season on both sides of the Atlantic.
