One of the biggest events of the Milano Cortina 2026 Games was the ice hockey tournament for the Winter Olympics in 2026. There were 12 men’s and 10 women’s national teams in the competition. The Men’s tournament was from February 11 to 22, while the Women’s was from Feb. 5 to19.
2026 Winter Olympics Ice Hockey Teams
There were three groups of four teams in the men’s tournament.
Group A
- Canada
- Switzerland
- Czechia
- France
Group B
- Finland
- Sweden
- Slovakia
- Italy
Group C
- United States
- Germany
- Latvia
- Denmark
These groups were officially confirmed by the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF).
The 2026 Winter Olympics ice hockey tournament consisted of some of the best hockey teams in the world, such as Canada, the United States, Sweden, Finland, and Czechia.
2026 Winter Olympics Ice Hockey Schedule
The preliminary round of men’s ice hockey started on the 11th of February. Groups of teams played each other before competing in the knockout stage.
There were 30 games in the men’s tournament, which took place at two ice hockey arenas in Milan. The qualification playoffs were held on February 17, the quarterfinals on February 18, the semifinals on February 20, and the medal games on February 21 and 22.
The women’s competition was earlier, starting February 5 and concluding February 19.
How Did the Men’s Tournament Format Work?
The 12 men’s teams were split into three groups of 4. Both teams played three qualifying round games with the other teams in their group.
After the preliminary round, all 12 teams were ranked based on their results. The top four teams advanced straight to the quarterfinals.
The remaining teams (5-12) will advance to the qualification playoff round. The remaining four quarterfinalists were decided by these games.
Quarterfinals and Semifinals
The four teams that advanced to the qualification playoffs came in as the top four ranked teams in the quarterfinals.
The preliminary round ranking was used to determine the quarterfinals. The four winners then went on to the semi-finals.
Winners after the semi-final round faced each other for the gold medal, and the losing teams faced each other for the bronze medal.
Points System
This had to be a three-point tournament for the men’s event:
- 3 points for a regulation win
- 1 point for each team if the game was tied after regulation
- 1 additional point for the team winning in overtime or a game-winning-shots procedure
- 0 points for a regulation loss
In case of a tie for the standings, further scoring criteria like goal difference and goals scored were considered for ranking the teams.
What made the 2026 Tournament Special?
For men’s ice hockey, the Winter Olympics in 2026 are a special event since they had not hosted the sport in the Olympics since the 1916 edition. The return introduced many of the best professional players in the world to the event and helped build the hype around the Games.
This led to much-coveted matchups with traditional hockey powers, and the chance for fans to witness top NHL talent contending for Olympic medals.
Where Was Olympic Ice Hockey Played?
The ice hockey events were played at two venues in Milan: Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena and Milano Rho Ice Hockey Arena. Both arenas were NHL size ice sheets.
Conclusion
The 2026 Winter Olympics ice hockey tournament was set to host some of the best hockey teams from around the world in an intense international showdown. There were 12 men’s teams, a well-designed qualification and elimination process, and NHL players returned to the tournament, which provided a lot of exciting matchups.
With the group stage games, qualification playoffs, quarterfinals, semi-finals, and the medal games all scheduled, it was easy to follow the competition, and it provided all participating teams with a path to Olympic success.
FAQs
At the 2026 Winter Olympics, how many teams will compete in men’s ice hockey?
The Olympic ice hockey tournament will be played by 12 national teams in men’s competition.
Who will be participating in 2026 Olympic ice hockey?
The men’s teams were Canada, Switzerland, Czechia, France, Finland, Sweden, Slovakia, Italy, the United States, Germany, Latvia, and Denmark.
In what year will the 2026 Olympic men’s ice hockey tournament take place?
The men’s event will be February 11-22, 2026.
In 2026, how many teams will compete in the men’s ice hockey tournament at the Olympic Games?
12 teams split into 3 groups of 4 teams each for the preliminary round. Then four teams advanced directly to the quarterfinals, while the other teams played in qualification playoffs for the remaining four quarterfinal berths.
Were there any NHL players who competed in the 2026 Winter Olympics?
Yes. NHL players returned to Olympic ice hockey for the men’s tournament, which was the first time in 12 years they had participated in the sport on the Olympic ice.
