Wooden reindeer stolen during hockey celebrations found in Helsinki with golden antlers

A wooden reindeer decoration that vanished during Finland’s ice hockey world championship celebrations in Helsinki has been recovered and returned to its place outside the Kultá Kitchen & Bar restaurant and Lapland Hotels Bulevardi, the venue announced Thursday.

The reindeer, which had gone missing in the post-victory revelry over the weekend, was given golden antlers as a commemorative mark of the championship, according to a social media post by the restaurant. “If you pass by, you’re welcome to admire its splendid antlers, pat its head, or even take a photo together—just don’t let it wander off on new adventures,” the post read.

Nathalie Huber, director of both the restaurant and the hotel, confirmed the reindeer’s return but declined to accuse anyone of theft, referring to its disappearance as a case of it “going missing.” She told Yle via email that the reindeer’s original antlers had been adorned with “gold dust” to celebrate its return.

The missing reindeer was one of several wooden decorations of varying sizes outside the hotel and restaurant. The recovered figure is among the largest of the set.

A Helsinki resident, Mexican national Josué Magaña Moreno, had captured the celebratory chaos in a widely shared Instagram video that inadvertently documented the reindeer’s presence amid the crowds. His post, which garnered 40,000 likes and hundreds of comments, introduced his followers to Finnish victory festivities. “My fellow Mexicans were amazed—where did all these people suddenly come from?” Moreno told Yle. Reacting to the reindeer’s recovery, he posted on Instagram: “This proves that even the lost eventually tire of their adventures and decide to come home.”

Security camera footage previously released by the hotel showed the reindeer being carried away during the celebrations, prompting a public appeal for its return.