Finnish winger Sanni Hakala, who suffered a horrific injury in a Swedish League matchup less than a week ago which stunned the hockey world, today announced the end of her playing career at age 29, with the injury leaving her paralyzed from the chest down, with limited mobility in her arms and legs.
Starting her career with her hometown JYP in 2012, Hakala would spend four seasons with the club, capturing the SM-sarja championship in 2016, before moving to Kärpät following the title. After just thirteen games, Hakala would move to HV71 of the Swedish League, where she would spend the final eight seasons of her pro career. Her career tragically came to a sudden end on 24 November against Djurgården, where she collided head-first into a goal post, sustaining paralysis below the chest. After undergoing surgery, she confirmed just under a week later that the injury would prematurely end her playing career.
A Jyväskylä native, Hakala debuted for the Naisleijonat‘s junior system with the under-18 team in 2013, debuting for the senior team in 2015. She made her World Championship debut in 2016, at the age of 18, her first of four (2016, 2017, 2019, 2021) tournament appearances, capturing Bronze in 2018 and 2021, also being part of Finland’s best international performance ever at the 2019 World Championship in Espoo, capturing a controversial Silver in a shooutout loss that, save for a flubbed penalty call, should have been a Gold for the hosts. Hakala also appeared at the 2018 and 2022 Olympics, capturing Bronze in both instances, with the latter tournament in Beijing serving as her final international appearance.
While Hakala would only play 126 games with the Naisleijonat, 104 in the SM-sarja and 238 in the SDHL, and her career was tragically cut short, Hakala herself has vowed to make something of her post-playing life, proclaiming “I don’t know what I’m going to do next, but I know it will be f***ing awesome.” Our thoughts and positive vibes are with Hakala for whatever is to come next in her life, both inside and outside of hockey.
International Hockey Lineal Championship 