Shortly after the Calgary Flames 2025/26 regular season came to an end, the team did their regular exit interviews, and in the process, there was plenty of good news revealed. Namely, that both Devin Cooley and Martin Pospisil would be representing their countries (USA and Slovakia respectively) at the upcoming 2026 IIHF World Championships to be held next month in Switzerland.
They likely aren't the only ones drawing interest however, as the likes of Dustin Wolf, Adam Klapka, Matt Coronato, Mikael Backlund and others could be considered candidates for the event as well. Now, on Monday, it has officially been revealed that Olli Maatta will join his two teammates at the event, as he is now set to represent a deep Finland team as they look to chase a gold medal.
Olli Määttä vahvistamaan Leijonien puolustusta MM-kisoissa: https://t.co/U9IeJCFs79#Leijonat #MMkisat @NHLFlames pic.twitter.com/5eqPm35BIO
— Leijonat.fi (@leijonat) April 19, 2026
While Maatta's 2025/26 season didn't start off well, appearing in 22 games for the Utah Mammoth with just one assist in that time, he turned it around quickly the moment he arrived in Calgary. Since being given a key role on the Flames second or third pairing, Maatta's production sky rocketed, as he ended the year with 2 goals and 14 points in 21 games played.
Over an 82 game stretch, that's a mark of 55 points, and while Maatta has never posted more than 30 points in a season, it appears as though the Flames caught lightning in a bottle with the 31-year old veteran. Now, he's off to represent his country, and with two-years left on his current deal, he could be a valuable piece for Calgary in that time for several different reasons.
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