Representing Finland, she won a bronze medal in the women's ice hockey tournament at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.

Vanhatalo made her goaltending debut in the premier Finnish ringette league, the Ringeten SM-sarja [fi], at age 18 in 2002.

[4][5] Vanhatalo began playing ice hockey at age 25 in 2009, joining the powerhouse Espoo Blues Naiset in Finland’s top league, the Naisten SM-sarja, as their starting goaltender.

The following season, Vanhatalo signed alongside Finnish national team teammate Karoliina Rantamäki as the only expatriates with SKIF Nizhny Novgorod in the Russian Women's Hockey League.

She won a bronze medal in the women’s ice hockey tournament at the 2010 Winter Olympics while serving as third goaltender behind starter Noora Räty and backup Mira Kuisma.