* Team USA and Team Slovakia clash in the semifinals for their seventh all-time meeting as they both continue their hunt for their first gold medal Olympic Games with NHL participation.
* The reigning gold medalists will face off against the last team to win gold in a Olympic Games with participation in the NHL when Team Finland takes on Team Canada in the semifinals on Friday.
* After three of the four quarterfinals in the men’s tournament required overtime on Wednesday, Team USA captured their third gold medal in Olympic women’s hockey on Thursday with veteran forwards Megan Keller with which he scored the championship goal in extra time.
ALL 32 NHL TEAMS REPRESENTED IN THE 2026 OLYMPIC SEMIFINALS
All 32 NHL teams will have at least one player represented on the rosters of the final four countries competing for medals at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, with 81 current NHL players joining NHL prospects on Team Canada, Finland, USA and Slovakia.
* Team USA has the largest representation of NHL teams (18), while Team Finland has the most players of a single NHL team (4 of DAL).
TEAM USA, SLOVAKIA IS OPEN FOR SECOND OLYMPIC MEETING WITH NHL PLAYERS
Team USA and Team Slovakia meet in the Olympic Games for the seventh time and the first since their quarterfinal match in 2022 Olympic Gamesthat Slovakia won 3-2 in a shootout. However, the Americans maintain the lead over the Slovaks in their all-time Olympic matches with a record of 3-0-1-1-1 (W, OTW, OTL, L, T), including a win in their only meeting at a Olympic Games featuring NHL players (2014 RR).
* Team Slovakia looks to return to the semi-finals after also reaching that stage in 2022 on its way to its first Olympic medal (bronze) in team history. The country also reached the last four to one Olympic Games with NHL players once before in 2010, which was one of two Olympic Games with NHL players where Team USA won a medal (silver in 2010 and 2002). The Americans have advanced to a semi-final thirteen times, having last done so in 2014 Olympic Gamesand have captured 11 Olympic medals after reaching that stage of a tournament (2 gold, 8 silver, 1 bronze).
* Canadians forward Juraj Slafkovsky (3-4-7 in 4 GP) continues to lead team Slovakia in Milano Cortina 2026 after the forward also helped them reach the semi-finals in 2022 Olympic Games. Slafkovský, one of 10 players on Team Slovakia’s roster returning from the bronze medal-winning team in 2022, is the reigning tournament MVP after going 7-0-7 in seven matches. Slafkovský is currently fourth in goals and fifth in points in Milan and could become the third Slovak to score at least eight points in an Olympic tournament with NHL players, after Marian Hossa (10 in 2006 and 9 in 2010) and Paul Demitra (9 in 2010).
ICYMI: Slafkovský is one of eight players from “NHL MY WORLD”, a short series featuring eight NHL players from eight different countries. Click here to watch his episode on YouTube.
*Despite not having any Olympic medalists on their current roster, Team USA has 21 of the 23 players from the 4 Nations Face-Off roster, including Maple leaves captain Auston Matthews (3-3—6 in 4 GP). Wild defender Quinn Hughes (1-5-6 in 4 GP) was originally on the 4 Nations roster, but missed the tournament due to injury. Both Matthews and Hughes can extend their point streaks to five games and matches Zach Paris (2010) for the longest run by an American on one Olympic Games with NHL players.
KNOWN ENEMIES IN TEAM CANADA AND FINLAND FIGHT IN SEMI-FINALS ON FRIDAY
Familiar foes take the ice for the semifinals as Team Canada and Team Finland meet for the 15th time in the Olympic Games and only the fifth time with NHL participation (BMG from 1998, 2002 QF, 2006RR & 2014RR). The Canadians maintain the lead with eight wins in their previous meetings (7-1-0-6-0), while the Finns have six (6-0-1-7-0), but both countries are split down the middle. Olympic Games featuring NHL players – Canada claimed victory against Finland in the 2002 quarterfinals and 2014 round robin, and Finland defeated Canada in the 1998 bronze medal game and 2006 round robin.
* Team Canada returns to the semifinals of the Olympic Games for the eighth time overall and fifth time in six tournaments with NHL players, having won three of the previous four en route to gold medals, including the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, where they defeated Team USA 1–0. Team Finland, meanwhile, will appear in the semi-finals for the seventh time and finish fifth Olympic Games with NHL players. Finland have won two of their previous six semi-finals, with their most recent victory coming at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing where they won the gold medal, while their only semi-final victory came in Olympic Games with participation in the NHL, Russia came across February 24, 2006 in Turin on his way to a silver medal.
*Team Canada and Team Finland have both been honored at the Olympic Games. Canada leads all teams with 16 Olympic medals, including nine gold – the most of any country – four silver and three bronze. Three of those gold medals have been won Olympic Games with NHL participation (2002, 2010 and 2014). Finland is in sixth place with seven medals overall, four of them in Olympic Games with NHL players (1 silver and 3 bronze), and is the only country to collect a medal in three consecutive games Olympic Games with NHL participation (2006, 2010 and 2014).
* Finland is led to the semi-finals by Predators goalkeeper Her in Saros (3-1-0-0), one of 18 players on the team that also represented the country at the 4 Nations Face-Off. Saros is currently connected to Connor Hellebuyck (3-0-0-0 with USA), Leonardo Genoni (3-0-2-1 with SUI) and Jordan Binnington (3-0-0-0 with CAN), whom he will likely face on Friday, for the most wins among all goaltenders at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics. With a win against Canada, Saros would surpass him Miikka Kiprusoff (3 in 2010) and Tuukka Rask (3 in 2014) for the second-most wins by a Finnish goaltender in an Olympic tournament behind only NHL participation Antero Niittymaki (5 in 2006).
* Team Canada hopes to see Oil squirters forward Connor McDavid (2-9—11 in 4 GP) and Sharks forward Macklin Celebrini (5-4-9 in 4 GP) achieved another great performance on Friday. McDavid, one of 19 players returning from Canada’s 4 Nations Face-Off squad, needs one point to earn a record for most in an Olympic tournament with NHL participation. Meanwhile, 19-year-old Celebrini, who was left out of the 4 Nations Face-Off squad during his rookie season last year, has scored in four straight games and will look to match this. John LeClair (6 in 2002), Olli Jokinen (6 in 2006) and Teemu Selanne (6 in 2006) for the second most goals in an Olympic tournament with NHL players behind it Pavel Bure (9 in 1998).
KELLER DELIVERES GOLDEN GOAL IN OT FOR TEAM USA
Kristin O’Neill lifted Team Canada to a 1-0 lead with a shorthanded goal in the opening minute of the second period, a lead they held for most of the match until the veteran American forward Hilary Knightskating in her fifth and final Olympics, tied the score with just 2:04 left in regulation and the goaltender pulled for an extra attacker. That set the stage for overtime, where another American veteran, Megan Kellercompleted a thrilling sprint to score the winning goal and safe gold for Team USA.
* Thursday marked the seventh time Team USA and Team Canada met in the gold medal match at the Olympic Games and the third requiring extra time following Team USA’s shootout win in 2018 and Team Canada’s overtime victory in 2014. One of Team USA (3x) or Team Canada (5x) has won gold in every women’s Olympic event.
*Fans can commemorate Team USA’s victory with 2026 Gold Medal apparel, available at Shop.NHL.com – the official online store of the NHL.
AROUND THE NHL: NEW TEAMS RENEWING THE PLAYOFF PUSH
The nhl playoffs resume on wednesday when the league returns to action with a list of eight matches. Playoff turnover threatens to become a major theme in the final seven weeks of the regular season, as eight teams that missed the playoffs last season are currently in postseason berth, including the Sabres, Cracking, Mammoth And Duckswho will all take to the ice on Wednesday evening (also BOS, DET, NYI, PIT).
* With eight teams clinching a playoff position after missing the postseason last year, the NHL could see the highest annualized playoff revenue in league history. The current benchmark is seven (2020-21, 2017-18, 2016-17 and 2014-15).
QUICK CLICKS
* Team USA inspired by Johnny Gaudreau‘s legacy
* There will be many Panthers on both sides of the Finland-Canada semi-final
* Juraj Slafkovskyyoung core that puts Slovakia back on the hockey map
* Artemi Panarin ready to help Kings in playoff push
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