Getting drafted into the PWHL is an exciting opportunity for European star Michelle Karvinen

Michelle Karvinen is a well-known women’s hockey star in Europe. The 35-year-old is a three-time Olympic bronze medalist, a Russian league champion and a four-time Swedish Women’s Hockey League (SDHL) champion.

What you might not know is that the elite forward, who holds dual citizenship in Denmark and Finland, also loves riding her motorcycle. Sometimes the rides are utilitarian, like going to practice, and at other times she rides through the countryside for pleasure.

“[Riding a motorcycle] is definitely like the feeling of being on the ice,” Karvinen told us in a recent interview. “You feel a bit free, also I love being outside and it’s just fun.”

The exhilaration and freedom of a motorcycle comes with the potential for serious injury in the event of a crash. However, Karvinen isn’t a person to let a risk stand in the way of what she wants; she’s willing to push herself for the things she enjoys.

In many ways, Karvinen’s choice to enter the 2025 PWHL Draft is similar to riding a motorcycle. It will be exhilarating, exciting and slightly risky. She thinks the risk will be worth it to be a part of a league that is moving professional women’s hockey forward.

“As a person, I like to experience new things and I’m not afraid of being uncomfortable,” said Karvinen. “I know that in those situations is when you grow the most, and I’ve had my best experiences when I’ve dared to believe in something and take a risk.”

Karvinen’s rise to the top of European women’s hockey started as a young girl living in Rødovre, Denmark. Hers was a hockey family. Her father, Heikki, played professionally in Denmark before having kids.

“My dad grew up playing, and eventually was my coach for many years,” said Karvinen. “My brother [Jannik] has also been playing his whole life; he’s now retired, but he did play a bit for the Danish national team.”

Throughout her career, Karvinen felt very supported by her family, who were there throughout all her ups and downs. Although her mother, Hanne Olsen, never played, she volunteered for the teams her children played on. Olsen actually still volunteers for teams in Denmark.

Instagram @karvinen_33 / Via instagram.com

Being immersed in hockey from a young age enhanced Karvinen’s formidable natural abilities, leading to dominant performances as she moved through the ranks. When she was just 15 years old, she scored 51 points in eight games playing for Rødovre’s minor league women’s team. That same year, she also tallied two goals and two assists in the two games she was called up to play for Rødovre’s U20 men’s team.

Unfortunately for Karvinen, Denmark is not known for having a strong women’s hockey team on the international stage.

“For a long time, I didn’t know anything would be possible,” said Karvinen. “Through my dad, who is Finnish, I realized I would be able to play at World Championships and at the Olympics.”

And has she ever. Having played with the Finnish National Team since she was a teen, Karvinen became the country’s all-time leading scorer during last spring’s IIHF World Championships.

Instagram @iihfwomen / Via instagram.com

After her early exposure to international hockey via the Finnish team, Karvinen attended the University of North Dakota, where she spent three years playing hockey while getting a degree in graphic design. She believes the experience playing in North America will be helpful when she transitions to the PWHL.

“The main thing is the ice sheet size ... we have a lot more space here on European/Olympic ice,” said Karvinen. “I know it’s a different style of hockey and you need to adapt a bit … Obviously, I feel a bit more comfortable doing that because I’ve had the experience from college.”

Karvinen is a force on the ice. Her offensive creativity and elite skating make her the kind of player who can score seemingly at will. She’s incredibly versatile, capable of scoring goals five-on-five, playing big minutes on the powerplay and shutting out opponents on the penalty kill. Best of all, she shows up most when the stakes are high.

After college, she became a dominant force playing in Sweden. In 220 SDHL games, she scored 183 goals and tallied 205 assists playing for Luleå and Frölunda HC. She’s a player who has experienced the highs and lows of professional sport and learned to be a true leader who helps her teammates build themselves up.

“One of the things that is very close to my heart is building a future for the generation that comes after,” said Karvinen. “I’ve been part of a couple of teams building from zero, and it’s always tough to leave something like that where you’ve been part of it from the start.”

The SDHL championships Karvinen won with Frölunda HC and Luleå came after several years of building and progressing as a team.

Coming to the PWHL, Karvinen is leaving a very stable situation where she is no doubt comfortable being one of the stars of the SDHL. However, the PWHL presents her with some unique opportunities she really can’t get in Europe.

“It’s one of the few things I haven’t done, but also, I think of me as a little hockey girl, collecting cards and dreaming of going to the NHL and realizing there wasn’t an NHL for women’s hockey,” said Karvinen.

Karvinen says she wants to leave her mark on the game while pushing it forward. She acknowledges that might mean putting herself in a less comfortable position, but it will be worth it to play her part in helping little girls like herself see a path to professional hockey.

“I've been a fan of the league for a few years, and having grown up with a lot of these players who have done amazing work to get us to where we are now, it’s very exciting for me to also help build the game,” said Karvinen. “I’m super excited for everything.”

It should be a thrilling ride.

Headline photo courtesy of Frölunda HC