Grand Rapids Reporter

One-time teammates competed on opposing sides. That might sound awkward, but it also gave them both a chance to go home as winners — and to do so for their home countries.

Harri Sateri of Finland and Patrik Rybar of Slovakia were goaltenders for and teammates on the Grand Rapids Griffins hockey team during the 2018 to 2019 season. This year, they led their countries to historic results at the winter games.

The 2022 Winter Olympic Games in Beijing featured 15 former Grand Rapids Griffins, representing eight different countries. It was the fifth consecutive Olympics in which at least one former Griffins player stood on the medal podium, the team said on its website. 

Sateri made 16 saves in a 2-1 win over ROC, helping Finland earn its first-ever Olympic men’s hockey gold medal. He finished the tournament with a 1.00 goals against average, a 0.962 save percentage, and one shutout, allowing just two goals in his five appearances at the games, according to the website. The Griffins reported that Finnish captain Valtteri Filppula joined Niklas Kronwall as the only former Griffin to earn two Olympic medals. He won bronze in the 2010 games in Vancouver.

Rybar was named to the tournament’s all-star team after Saturday’s 28-save, 4-0 shutout of Sweden in the bronze medal game that secured Slovakia’s first Olympic medal in men’s hockey. Over six appearances, he paced all Olympic netminders with a 0.86 GAA, a 0.966 save percentage, and two shutouts (tied). Tomas Jurco played in his second Olympics, becoming the first player to win a medal after winning a Calder Cup with the Griffins in 2013, according to the website. 

The Griffins reported on the team's strong connection to the Winter Games in recent competitions, with an alumnus taking home a medal in every Olympics since 2006.

During the 2006 Games in Turin, Italy, Kronwall became the first Griffins alumnus to earn an Olympic medal, taking home gold as Sweden defeated Finland in the championship game. 

Filppula was the second one-time Griffin to win a medal, earning bronze with Finland during the 2010 Games in Vancouver. 

Kronwall became the first former Griffin to win two Olympic medals by taking silver in 2014 in Sochi, Russia, alongside fellow Grand Rapids alumni Jonathan Ericsson, Jonas Gustavsson, and Gustav Nyquist.

The 2018 games in PyeongChang, South Korea, saw two Griffin alums win medals; Alexey Marchenko won gold with the Olympic athletes from Russia and Chris Kelly scored the game-winning goal for Canada in the bronze medal game, the website reported.