Last Updated on November 9, 2026 by Bernald Sanders
Kevin Lankinen is a Finnish professional ice hockey goaltender who plays for the Vancouver Canucks in the National Hockey League (NHL). Born on April 28, 1995, in Helsinki, Finland, Lankinen grew up in a supportive Finnish-Swedish family that encouraged his interest in hockey from an early age.
His parents are Tomi Lankinen and Christa Grönlund. He also has a stepfather named Tommi Grönlund and an older sister, Chira Lankinen. Finnish family reporting has additionally mentioned a younger sister whose name has not been publicly verified.
In his personal life, Lankinen is married to Iina Laukkanen, a former competitive synchronized figure skater. The couple married on August 3, 2023, in Hanko, Finland, and welcomed their first child, a son, on September 24, 2025.
Throughout his career, Lankinen has frequently acknowledged the importance of his family, particularly his mother’s encouragement, his wife’s understanding of professional sports, and the support he received while developing into an NHL goaltender.
Kevin Lankinen’s Wife and Relationship History
Iina Laukkanen – Kevin Lankinen’s Wife
Kevin Lankinen is married to Iina Laukkanen, also known as Iina Lankinen, a former Finnish synchronized figure skater.
The couple began dating around 2012, several years before Lankinen established himself as a professional hockey player.
They met while attending high school in Finland and maintained their relationship as Kevin pursued hockey opportunities in Europe and North America.
During a May 2019 interview with Finnish publication Seiska, Lankinen revealed that he and Iina had been together for nearly seven years.
Although his professional career required extended periods away from Finland, the couple maintained their relationship throughout his development with the Chicago Blackhawks organization.
Iina subsequently joined Kevin in North America, where they continued building their life together.
Who Is Iina Laukkanen?
Iina Laukkanen is a former Finnish athlete who competed in synchronized figure skating.
She was a member of the Helsinki Rockettes, one of Finland’s most successful synchronized skating teams.
In 2016, she was part of the Rockettes team that won a silver medal at the ISU World Synchronized Skating Championships in Budapest, Hungary.
Her experience competing internationally gave her a strong understanding of the dedication, training, and sacrifices required in elite sports.
Iina continued participating in competitive skating before stepping away from the sport in 2018.
Since then, she has generally maintained a private professional life while supporting her husband’s NHL career.
Kevin Lankinen and Iina Laukkanen’s Relationship
Kevin and Iina developed their relationship while both were pursuing demanding athletic goals.
When Kevin signed with the Chicago Blackhawks in May 2018, he relocated to North America to begin his professional career.
Living away from his girlfriend and relatives initially presented challenges.
However, their relationship remained strong.
In January 2020, Lankinen received Finland’s Role Model of the Year Award at the Finnish Sports Gala.
In his public acknowledgment of the honor, he specifically thanked Iina for providing encouragement and emotional support during the previous eight years.
His comments demonstrated how important she had become to his life and career.
By November 2021, Iina had joined Lankinen in Chicago, where they spent time with teammate Marc-André Fleury and his family.
When Did Kevin Lankinen Get Engaged?
Kevin Lankinen and Iina Laukkanen became engaged in 2020.
The engagement followed approximately eight years together.
The couple continued their relationship while Kevin played for the Chicago Blackhawks and later the Nashville Predators.
Although they shared occasional glimpses of their life together, they generally avoided making their relationship a major subject of public attention.
Kevin Lankinen and Iina Laukkanen’s Wedding
Kevin Lankinen and Iina Laukkanen married on August 3, 2023, in Hanko, Finland.
Their wedding took place during the NHL offseason, allowing the couple to celebrate with family members and friends.
According to an August 2023 report published by Seiska, the celebration lasted three days.
The festivities began with the wedding ceremony in Hanko, a coastal town in southern Finland.
The following day, guests attended a brunch at Coco Hanko before continuing the celebrations.
Kevin’s mother, Christa Grönlund, shared photographs and messages expressing her happiness about the occasion.
The wedding marked an important milestone after more than a decade together.
How Iina Supports Kevin Lankinen’s Hockey Career
Iina’s sporting background has helped her understand the pressures associated with professional hockey.
As a former elite synchronized skater, she experienced demanding training schedules, international competition, and the emotional challenges of pursuing athletic success.
Kevin has publicly credited her with helping him remain motivated throughout his career.
The couple have experienced major professional milestones together, including his NHL debut, his move to Vancouver, and the birth of their first child.
In October 2025, Lankinen praised his wife following the arrival of their son, expressing admiration for her strength and dedication as a new mother.
Kevin Lankinen’s Children
Kevin Lankinen’s Son
Kevin Lankinen and his wife Iina have one publicly confirmed child, a son born on September 24, 2025.
The couple welcomed their baby during the Vancouver Canucks’ preseason preparations.
Lankinen briefly stepped away from team activities to be with his wife following the birth.
He returned to the ice two days later and helped Vancouver defeat the Seattle Kraken 4–2 in a preseason game.
After the game, Lankinen discussed his excitement about becoming a father and praised Iina for handling the experience so well.
The couple publicly announced their son’s arrival on October 28, 2025, through Instagram.
Kevin shared photographs of Iina and their newborn, expressing gratitude and excitement about the new chapter in their lives.
Although the child’s birth date and gender have been publicly confirmed, his name has not been reliably disclosed in major sports reporting.
How Fatherhood Changed Kevin Lankinen’s Life
Becoming a father was an important personal milestone for Lankinen.
In interviews following his son’s birth, he described learning how to balance the responsibilities of professional hockey with caring for a newborn.
During a Vancouver Canucks mothers’ trip in February 2026, his mother Christa Grönlund was identified as a proud new grandmother.
The trip provided an opportunity for her to spend time with Kevin and celebrate his growing family.
In April 2026, Lankinen also discussed fatherhood during an interview with NHL.com.
He explained that having a child had changed his priorities and made finding a healthy balance between hockey and family life increasingly important.
No additional children have been publicly confirmed.
Kevin Lankinen’s Parents
Kevin Lankinen was born to Tomi Lankinen and Christa Grönlund in Helsinki, Finland.
His family has Swedish-speaking Finnish roots, and Swedish was commonly spoken at home during his childhood.
Both parents supported his development, including transporting him to practices and encouraging him to pursue competitive hockey.
Tomi Lankinen – Kevin Lankinen’s Father
Tomi Lankinen is Kevin Lankinen’s father.
His identity was confirmed in a May 27, 2019, report published by Finnish public broadcaster Yle.
Tomi and Kevin’s mother, Christa Grönlund, attended the celebrations at Helsinki-Vantaa Airport when the Finnish national hockey team returned home after winning the 2019 IIHF World Championship.
Photographs published by Yle identified Tomi alongside Christa and their son.
Although Tomi has remained largely outside professional sports coverage, Kevin’s family has described how his father participated in supporting his childhood hockey activities.
His professional occupation and additional personal details have not been reliably documented in major public reports.
Tomi Lankinen’s Role in Kevin’s Early Hockey Development
Kevin began developing an interest in ice hockey at approximately four years old.
According to an August 2019 family profile published by Apu, he became interested in the sport after watching an older neighborhood friend play hockey.
Once Kevin started attending organized training sessions, family members shared responsibilities for transporting him to the rink.
His mother explained that Kevin’s father, mother, and grandfather all participated in taking him to practices.
These arrangements became particularly important as Kevin began training more frequently.
Over time, other hockey families organized shared transportation schedules to make the demands of youth sports more manageable.
Christa Grönlund – Kevin Lankinen’s Mother
Christa Grönlund is Kevin Lankinen’s mother and one of the most publicly recognized members of his family.
She was born in Helsinki, Finland, and has worked in corporate communications.
According to Apu, Christa held a communications management position with the Finnish shipping company Viking Line.
She raised Kevin in a bilingual environment where Swedish and Finnish were important parts of family life.
Christa has spoken openly about the dedication required to support a child pursuing competitive hockey.
She has also emphasized the importance of education, independence, and allowing children to develop their own interests.
Christa Grönlund’s Support During Kevin’s Childhood
Christa played an important role in helping Kevin pursue his hockey ambitions.
In a May 2019 interview with Yle, she explained her approach to supporting young athletes through three Finnish words: “kuljeta, kustanna, kannusta.”
These mean providing transportation, paying the costs, and offering encouragement.
Christa believed that parents should support their children’s ambitions without taking control of their sporting decisions.
She regularly transported Kevin to hockey practices and games and helped manage the family’s training schedule.
Although hockey required significant financial and personal commitments, she described those years as rewarding.
Her encouragement helped Kevin continue pursuing the sport as he progressed through Finnish junior hockey.
Christa Grönlund Celebrates Kevin’s World Championship
One of Christa’s most memorable experiences occurred in May 2019 when Finland won the IIHF World Championship in Slovakia.
Kevin was Finland’s starting goaltender and played an important role in the team’s championship victory.
During the final against Canada, he made several crucial saves as Finland secured a 3–1 victory.
Christa later admitted that watching the final had been emotionally difficult.
At one point, she became so nervous that she took the family dog for a walk rather than continue watching the game.
When Finland won, she felt overwhelming pride in her son’s achievement.
She subsequently attended the team’s homecoming celebration in Helsinki, where she was reunited with Kevin.
Christa Grönlund and Kevin’s Personal Development
Christa has encouraged Kevin to develop interests beyond professional hockey.
In January 2020, he received Finland’s Role Model of the Year Award, partly in recognition of his efforts to promote reading.
Because he was playing in North America, Christa accepted the award on his behalf.
During his recorded acceptance speech, Kevin credited his parents as important role models.
Christa became emotional while listening to his words.
She later explained that reading had always been part of family life, with books available during travel and hockey tournaments.
Kevin subsequently launched a reading club to encourage young people to develop an interest in literature.
Tommi Grönlund – Kevin Lankinen’s Stepfather
Tommi Grönlund is Kevin Lankinen’s stepfather.
He was publicly identified during the Finnish national team’s homecoming celebrations in May 2019.
According to Seiska, Tommi joined Christa and Kevin’s sister Chira at Helsinki-Vantaa Airport to welcome the goaltender home after Finland’s World Championship victory.
Tommi has generally maintained a private life, and details about his professional background have not been widely published.
He should not be confused with Kevin’s father, Tomi Lankinen, who was separately identified in Yle’s coverage of the same championship celebrations.
Kevin Lankinen’s Siblings
Kevin Lankinen has sisters, including an older sister named Chira Lankinen.
An August 2019 Apu family profile lists both an older sister and a younger sister among his relatives.
However, only Chira has been consistently identified by name in reliable public reporting.
Chira Lankinen – Kevin Lankinen’s Older Sister
Chira Lankinen is Kevin Lankinen’s sister and an important member of his family support system.
She was publicly identified in May 2019 when she attended Finland’s World Championship homecoming celebrations.
During an interview with Seiska, Chira discussed supporting Kevin throughout his childhood hockey career.
She explained that she had frequently helped transport him to practices and attended his games from an early age.
Chira remembered watching Kevin compete when he was approximately six or seven years old.
These experiences gave her a close connection to his development and eventual success.
Chira Lankinen’s Reaction to Kevin’s World Championship Victory
Chira was especially proud when Kevin helped Finland win the 2019 IIHF World Championship.
Following the final against Canada, she sent her brother a congratulatory message expressing her confidence in his ability to succeed.
She later attended the celebrations at Helsinki-Vantaa Airport alongside their mother and stepfather.
During an interview, Chira explained that watching Kevin become one of Finland’s most successful goaltenders was difficult to comprehend because she remembered his earliest hockey games.
Although Chira has spoken publicly about her brother, her occupation and other personal details remain relatively private.
Kevin Lankinen’s Younger Sister
A 2019 Apu family profile also mentions a younger sister among Kevin Lankinen’s relatives.
However, the report does not provide her name or clarify her exact family relationship.
Other major interviews have concentrated on Christa, Tomi, Tommi, and Chira rather than identifying additional siblings.
Consequently, further information about the younger sister cannot be independently confirmed.
Does Kevin Lankinen Have a Brother?
There is no reliable public information identifying a brother of Kevin Lankinen.
Available family interviews refer to sisters but do not establish that he has a brother.
Kevin Lankinen’s Family Background and Childhood
Kevin Lankinen was born on April 28, 1995, in Helsinki, Finland.
During his early childhood, his family lived in the Korso area of Vantaa, near Helsinki.
He became interested in hockey after watching an older neighbor participate in youth games.
Although he was initially considered too young for organized hockey training, his enthusiasm convinced coaches to allow him to participate.
His family subsequently supported his development through transportation, encouragement, and financial assistance.
Lankinen grew up speaking Swedish and Finnish and later became fluent in English.
He also maintained strong academic interests and developed a passion for literature.
After attending a sports-focused high school in Helsinki, he continued progressing through Finland’s professional hockey system.
Kevin Lankinen’s Hockey Career
Kevin Lankinen began his senior professional career with Jokerit and subsequently played for HIFK in Finland’s top hockey league.
In May 2018, he signed a two-year entry-level contract with the Chicago Blackhawks as an undrafted free agent.
He spent his early North American seasons developing with the Rockford IceHogs in the American Hockey League.
His international breakthrough came in May 2019, when he helped Finland win the IIHF World Championship.
During the tournament, he recorded a .942 save percentage and became one of Finland’s most important players.
Lankinen made his NHL debut with Chicago during the 2020–21 season.
He later joined the Nashville Predators in July 2022 before signing with the Vancouver Canucks in September 2024.
His performances during the 2024–25 season earned him a five-year, $22.5 million contract extension with Vancouver on February 21, 2025.
He also represented Finland at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy, earning a bronze medal as a member of the national team.
Throughout his professional journey, Lankinen has maintained close connections with his Finnish family while building a home with his wife and son in North America.
Frequently Asked Questions About Kevin Lankinen’s Family
Who is Kevin Lankinen’s wife?
Kevin Lankinen’s wife is Iina Laukkanen, a former Finnish synchronized figure skater who competed with the Helsinki Rockettes.
When did Kevin Lankinen get married?
Kevin Lankinen married Iina Laukkanen on August 3, 2023, in Hanko, Finland.
Does Kevin Lankinen have children?
Yes. Kevin Lankinen and his wife Iina have a son who was born on September 24, 2025. The couple publicly announced his arrival in October 2025.
What is Kevin Lankinen’s son’s name?
The name of Kevin Lankinen’s son has not been reliably disclosed in major public sports reporting.
Who is Kevin Lankinen’s father?
His father is Tomi Lankinen, who was identified alongside Kevin’s mother in Yle’s coverage of Finland’s 2019 World Championship homecoming.
Who is Kevin Lankinen’s mother?
His mother is Christa Grönlund, a Finnish communications professional who has publicly discussed supporting Kevin’s childhood hockey career.
Who is Kevin Lankinen’s stepfather?
His stepfather is Tommi Grönlund, who attended Finland’s 2019 World Championship celebrations with other family members.
Does Kevin Lankinen have siblings?
Yes. His older sister Chira Lankinen is publicly identified, and a 2019 Finnish family profile also mentions a younger sister whose name has not been reliably established.
Who is Kevin Lankinen’s sister Chira?
Chira Lankinen is Kevin’s older sister, who helped transport him to hockey practices during childhood and publicly celebrated his 2019 World Championship victory.
Was Kevin Lankinen’s wife a figure skater?
Yes. Iina Laukkanen competed in synchronized figure skating and won a silver medal with the Helsinki Rockettes at the 2016 World Championships.
Where did Kevin Lankinen grow up?
Kevin Lankinen grew up in the Helsinki metropolitan area, including Korso in Vantaa, Finland.
Living and breathing ice hockey, Bernald Sanders delivers comprehensive coverage of the NHL season from puck drop to the Stanley Cup Finals. He specializes in tactical breakdowns, trade analysis, power-play strategies, and tracking rising draft prospects. Bernald turns fast-paced on-ice action into clear, sharp insights for hockey fans around the globe.
