Last Updated on November 11, 2026 by Janet Asprin
Justus Annunen is a Finnish professional ice hockey goaltender who plays for the Nashville Predators in the National Hockey League (NHL). Born on March 11, 2000, in Kempele, Finland, Annunen developed his hockey skills through Finnish junior organizations before beginning his professional career in North America.
Beyond his achievements on the ice, Annunen comes from a close-knit Finnish family with strong connections to ice hockey. His parents, Pasi and Pauliina Annunen, supported his sporting ambitions throughout childhood, while his three siblings, Jesse, Fanni, and Joose Annunen, played important roles in his upbringing.
Annunen has also publicly discussed his romantic life. Finnish media identified Riikka Seidel as his girlfriend in 2022, while an April 2026 interview confirmed that he was living with a partner in the United States.
Justus Annunen’s Girlfriend: Is He Dating or Married?
Justus Annunen has publicly confirmed being in a romantic relationship. Finnish newspaper Kaleva identified his girlfriend as Riikka Seidel in July 2022.
At the time, Annunen was spending his summer vacation in Oulu, Finland, with Riikka after completing a season in the Colorado Avalanche organization.
The couple were photographed together at her home during an interview about his hockey career and experiences in North America.
Who Is Riikka Seidel?
Riikka Seidel was publicly identified as Justus Annunen’s girlfriend in a July 2022 interview published by Kaleva and Rantalakeus.
The article explained that Annunen was spending part of his summer at Riikka’s home in Oulu.
During the visit, the couple enjoyed relaxing together and playing NHL video games on a PlayStation console.
The interview provided a rare glimpse into Annunen’s personal life away from professional hockey.
However, Riikka’s occupation, education, age, and other biographical details have not been extensively documented in reliable public sources.
Does Justus Annunen Still Have a Girlfriend?
In April 2026, Finnish entertainment publication Seiska interviewed Annunen in Nashville, Tennessee.
The interview confirmed that he was living in the United States with a girlfriend, described in Finnish as his cohabiting partner.
Annunen explained that the demanding NHL schedule left relatively little time for recreational activities during the hockey season.
He also discussed missing Finland and looking forward to spending time outdoors during the summer.
However, the 2026 article did not identify his partner by name.
Therefore, while Riikka Seidel was confirmed as his girlfriend in 2022, it has not been independently established whether she is the same partner mentioned in 2026.
Is Justus Annunen Married?
There is no reliable public confirmation that Justus Annunen is married.
In April 2026, Finnish media described his partner as a girlfriend and cohabiting partner rather than a wife.
No independently verified wedding announcement has established that he subsequently married.
Consequently, his publicly documented relationship history includes Riikka Seidel in 2022 and an unnamed cohabiting partner in 2026.
Justus Annunen’s Children: Does He Have Kids?
There are no publicly confirmed reports that Justus Annunen has children.
The Finnish NHL goaltender has not made a verified public announcement concerning the birth of a son or daughter.
His official NHL biographies and major interviews do not identify any children.
Although Annunen has discussed his girlfriend and relatives in Finland, he has not publicly shared information establishing that he is a father.
Therefore, his parental status should be described as having no publicly confirmed children rather than definitively stating that he has none.
Justus Annunen’s Parents
Justus Annunen was born to Pasi Annunen and Pauliina Annunen in Kempele, Finland.
His parents raised four children in a household where ice hockey became an important family activity.
Their names and family background were confirmed in an interview published by Finnish newspaper Rantalakeus on January 8, 2020.
During the interview, Pasi and Pauliina discussed their children’s hockey activities and the demands of supporting several young athletes.
Justus Annunen’s Father: Pasi Annunen
Justus Annunen’s father is Pasi Annunen, a Finnish man who has supported his son’s hockey career since childhood.
Although Pasi did not play competitive ice hockey professionally, he developed an interest in the sport through his children’s participation.
In January 2020, he explained that hockey had been part of the family’s daily life for approximately 15 years.
The family’s involvement began when their eldest son, Jesse, started playing.
Justus and his younger brother Joose subsequently followed Jesse into organized hockey.
How Pasi Annunen Influenced Justus’s Hockey Career
Pasi recognized his son’s determination and competitiveness at an early age.
During his January 2020 Rantalakeus interview, he described Justus as a child who consistently wanted to win.
According to Pasi, Justus was not satisfied simply with participating in hockey games.
He wanted to understand how his team could improve and regularly considered different strategies for winning.
Even while playing goaltender, Justus attempted to influence the entire game’s outcome.
His father explained that this determination became an important part of his personality.
As Justus progressed through youth hockey, Pasi continued supporting his training, practices, and competitions.
The family eventually watched him advance from local hockey programs to Oulun Kärpät, Finland’s national junior teams, and the NHL.
Pasi Annunen’s Support During the World Junior Championship
In January 2020, Justus represented Finland at the IIHF World Junior Championship in the Czech Republic.
At the same time, his younger brother Joose was participating in a youth hockey tournament in Oulunsalo, Finland.
Pasi and Pauliina attended Joose’s game while also following Justus’s international performances.
The tournament schedules created a challenge because Finland’s World Junior semifinal was scheduled shortly after Joose’s game.
Pasi explained that he was trying to determine whether the family could return home in time to watch Justus on television.
The experience illustrated how closely the family followed the sporting activities of both sons.
Justus Annunen’s Mother: Pauliina Annunen
Justus Annunen’s mother is Pauliina Annunen, who helped raise the family’s four children in Kempele.
Like Pasi, Pauliina did not have a background as a competitive hockey player.
Instead, she became involved in the sport through her children’s interests.
According to Rantalakeus, hockey had been part of the family’s everyday routine for many years.
The children participated in practices, games, and tournaments, requiring regular travel and family involvement.
Pauliina supported these activities while following the progress of her sons at different levels of the sport.
Pauliina Annunen’s Support for Her Children
During the January 2020 Rantalakeus interview, Pauliina was watching her youngest son, Joose, participate in a tournament in Oulunsalo.
Although Joose preferred playing as a forward, he had been assigned to play goaltender during the event.
Pauliina discussed his preference while watching the game alongside her husband.
At the same time, Justus was representing Finland internationally.
The family’s ability to support both children despite their different competitive levels demonstrated the importance of hockey in their household.
Pauliina also supported their eldest son Jesse during his youth hockey years.
Her daughter, Fanni, regularly accompanied the family to games even though she did not develop the same interest in playing.
Detailed information about Pauliina’s professional occupation and educational background has not been independently established in reliable public sources.
Justus Annunen’s Siblings: Does He Have Brothers or Sisters?
Justus Annunen has three siblings: two brothers named Jesse and Joose Annunen and a sister named Fanni Annunen.
The four children grew up in Kempele, where hockey became an important family activity.
Their names and relationships were confirmed in the January 2020 Rantalakeus family interview.
1. Jesse Annunen – Justus Annunen’s Older Brother
Jesse Annunen is the eldest child of Pasi and Pauliina Annunen and the older brother of Justus.
He was approximately 22 years old in January 2020.
Jesse was the first child in the family to begin playing organized ice hockey.
His interest in the sport influenced his younger brothers, who subsequently followed him onto the ice.
How Jesse Annunen Inspired Justus
Jesse played an important role in introducing Justus to hockey during childhood.
According to their father’s January 2020 interview, Justus frequently played informal hockey games with Jesse and his friends.
Because Justus was younger than the other players, he was often placed in goal.
These childhood games provided some of his earliest experiences as a goaltender.
Playing against older children encouraged him to improve his reflexes, positioning, and competitive abilities.
Although Justus eventually became an NHL player, Jesse’s early involvement helped establish the family’s hockey tradition.
Reliable public sources do not provide extensive information about Jesse’s later career, occupation, or personal relationships.
2. Fanni Annunen – Justus Annunen’s Older Sister
Fanni Annunen is Justus’s older sister and the second eldest child in the family.
She was approximately 18 years old in January 2020.
Unlike her three brothers, Fanni did not develop a strong interest in playing competitive hockey.
However, she remained connected to the sport through her family’s activities.
According to Rantalakeus, Fanni spent several years attending hockey games and supporting her brothers.
Her presence at games demonstrated that hockey was an important shared family experience, even for relatives who did not participate as players.
Fanni maintains a relatively private public profile, and reliable sources do not establish her occupation, educational background, or relationship status.
3. Joose Annunen – Justus Annunen’s Younger Brother
Joose Annunen is the youngest child of Pasi and Pauliina Annunen.
He was nine years old in January 2020 and grew up watching his older brothers participate in competitive hockey.
Like Jesse and Justus, Joose developed an interest in the sport.
He participated in local youth hockey programs in the Oulu region.
Joose Annunen’s Hockey Experience
In January 2020, Joose competed in the Rantalakeus youth hockey tournament in Oulunsalo.
During the competition, he played as a goaltender.
However, his mother explained that he generally preferred playing as a forward.
At the same time, Justus was representing Finland at the World Junior Championship.
The brothers’ simultaneous participation in hockey competitions demonstrated how deeply the sport had become embedded in family life.
Although Joose participated in organized youth hockey, reliable public reports do not establish that he subsequently became a professional player.
Justus Annunen’s Family Background and Childhood
Justus Annunen was born on March 11, 2000, in Kempele, a municipality near Oulu in northern Finland.
He grew up in a family of six, with parents Pasi and Pauliina and siblings Jesse, Fanni, and Joose.
The family’s interest in hockey began with Jesse and gradually extended to Justus and Joose.
Justus developed his goaltending abilities through informal games with his older brother before joining organized hockey programs.
He played junior hockey with Kiekko-Laser before advancing to Oulun Kärpät.
In 2018, he helped Finland win the IIHF World Under-18 Championship.
That same year, the Colorado Avalanche selected him in the third round, 64th overall, of the NHL Entry Draft.
During the 2019–20 season, Annunen established himself as one of Finland’s promising young goaltenders.
Playing for Kärpät, he recorded a 1.77 goals-against average and a .929 save percentage.
He subsequently moved to North America and joined the Colorado Eagles in the American Hockey League.
Annunen made his NHL debut with Colorado in December 2021.
In 2022, he was part of the Avalanche organization when the team won the Stanley Cup.
On November 30, 2024, Colorado traded Annunen to the Nashville Predators in exchange for goaltender Scott Wedgewood.
In Nashville, he joined fellow Finnish goaltender Juuse Saros.
On January 5, 2026, the Predators announced that Annunen had signed a two-year, $2.5 million contract beginning with the 2026–27 season.
Justus Annunen’s Relationship With His Family in Finland
Although Annunen’s professional career has taken him to the United States, he maintains strong connections to his hometown and relatives in Finland.
In November 2022, the Colorado Avalanche traveled to Finland for NHL Global Series games against the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Annunen described the opportunity to return to his home country with an NHL team as particularly meaningful.
During an NHL.com interview, he explained that his family came from the Oulu region and that he was excited to see them.
In April 2026, he again spoke about missing Finland while playing in Nashville.
He explained that he enjoyed living in the United States but continued regarding Kempele as home.
During the summer, he looked forward to returning to Finland and enjoying outdoor activities such as fishing.
These comments demonstrate how important his Finnish roots remain despite his international hockey career.
Frequently Asked Questions About Justus Annunen’s Family
Who is Justus Annunen’s girlfriend?
Finnish newspaper Kaleva identified Riikka Seidel as Justus Annunen’s girlfriend in July 2022. An April 2026 interview confirmed that he lived with a girlfriend in the United States but did not identify her by name.
Is Justus Annunen married?
There is no reliable public confirmation that Justus Annunen is married. Finnish media described him as living with a girlfriend in April 2026.
Does Justus Annunen have children?
There are no publicly confirmed reports that Justus Annunen has a son or daughter.
Who is Justus Annunen’s father?
His father is Pasi Annunen, who supported his children’s hockey activities and recognized Justus’s competitive personality from childhood.
Who is Justus Annunen’s mother?
His mother is Pauliina Annunen, who helped raise four children and supported the family’s involvement in youth hockey.
Does Justus Annunen have siblings?
Yes. Justus Annunen has three siblings: an older brother named Jesse, an older sister named Fanni, and a younger brother named Joose.
Who is Justus Annunen’s older brother?
His older brother is Jesse Annunen, who was the first child in the family to play organized hockey. Justus developed some of his earliest goaltending skills while playing with Jesse and his friends.
Who is Justus Annunen’s sister?
His sister is Fanni Annunen, who frequently attended her brothers’ hockey games during childhood but did not pursue competitive hockey herself.
Who is Justus Annunen’s younger brother?
His younger brother is Joose Annunen, who played organized youth hockey in Finland and participated in the Rantalakeus tournament in January 2020.
Did Justus Annunen’s parents play hockey?
No. Pasi and Pauliina Annunen explained in a January 2020 interview that neither had played competitive hockey. Their interest in the sport developed through their children’s participation.
Where is Justus Annunen’s family from?
Justus Annunen’s family is from Kempele, a municipality near Oulu in northern Finland.
A dedicated ice hockey journalist, Janet Asprin delivers sharp, detailed coverage of the NHL season. From evaluating trade deadline moves and line combinations to analyzing power plays and postseason standings, Janet brings a fresh, structured perspective to every game. She focuses on translating high-speed rink strategy into compelling stories and actionable insights for hockey fans.
