Finnish ice hockey star becomes brand ambassador as Veikkaus extends official NHL partnership in Finland
Finland’s Veikkaus has signed up Finnish professional ice hockey player Mikko Rantanen as its new brand ambassador.
Rantanen is the star forward for the NHL’s Dallas Stars and is one of the most successful Finnish NHL players, winning the Stanley Cup in 2015 with the Colorado Avalanche.
“I’m excited to begin this partnership with Veikkaus,” said Rantanen. “Veikkaus has a strong presence in Finnish ice hockey, which is something very important to me. I’m proud to be involved in promoting Finnish hockey culture while also highlighting responsibility and fair play, values that I strongly believe in.”
Jarkko Nordlund, executive vice president of domestic betting and online gaming at Veikkaus, said the partnership is a natural continuation of Veikkaus’s long-standing commitment to Finnish ice hockey.
“Veikkaus is the home of ice hockey,” Nordlund explained. “We are deeply involved in the sport, from top-level Finnish hockey all the way to the NHL. We are delighted to have one of Finland’s most successful NHL players join us. Mikko Rantanen represents elite performance, dedication, and success built on teamwork, qualities that align perfectly with our Veikkaus values.”
In addition to its partnership with Rantanen, Veikkaus has renewed its agreement with the NHL in Finland and will continue as an official partner of the world’s leading ice hockey league.
“Our cooperation with Mikko is about much more than having a familiar face in advertisements,” said Veikkaus head of sponsorship Tuomo Torkkola. “Together, we want to highlight the long-term dedication, fair play, and responsibility that underpin sporting success. These are principles that guide everything we do at Veikkaus. We are thrilled to have Mikko involved in creating NHL-related content with us.
“We want to offer content that resonates with our customers, appeals to Finnish sports fans, and supports the vitality of ice hockey, whether it concerns the national teams, Liiga, Mestis, the Aurora League, or the NHL. We are involved at the highest levels of Finnish ice hockey.
The agreements will also enable NHL stars to feature prominently across Veikkaus channels.
“Thanks to our NHL partnership, we will be able to bring even more star players into our content alongside Mikko Rantanen,” added Torkkola. “Ice hockey is our most important betting sport, and both partnerships will further enhance our offering for hockey fans.”
In addition, VeikkausTV will broadcast games from the 2026/27 NHL season, which began last week.