The men’s 2026 Winter Olympics hockey tournament is finally here. After not seeing NHL players compete in the Olympics since the 2014 Games in Sochi, they are represent their country again on the biggest stage. On the opening day of the preliminary round there are two matches in Group B, including the host country Italy.
Slovakia vs. Finland (10:40)
Slovakia: Rooster
Finland: Rooster
In the bigger of the two opening day games, two countries packed with NHL talent will face off as Slovakia and Finland kick off the 2026 Men’s Winter Olympics. Slovakia has a younger roster of NHL talent, including Juraj Slafkovský (Montreal Canadiens) and Šimon Nemec (New Jersey Devils). They will rely on players like Slafkovský, Nemec, former NHLer Tomas Tatár and Dalibor Dvorský (St. Louis Blues) for their offensive production. Defensively, they will face a tough challenge against a Finnish squad with plenty of firepower.
The biggest concern for the Slovaks in this match, and the rest of the tournament, will be what they get out of their goaltending. They will need solid play from both their defense and their netminding to have a chance against the Finns.
The Finns come into the 2026 Winter Olympics with a deep roster. They are led up front by Mikko Rantanen (Dallas Stars), Sebastian Aho (Carolina Hurricanes) and Roope Hintz (Dallas Stars) and have plenty of depth in their forward group, which could be an issue for any team during the preliminary round and beyond. They will certainly keep the Slovakian team on their toes defensively.
Finland also has the horses from the back of the ice, in both the defenseman and goaltender positions, to shut down the Slovaks. With seven of their eight defensemen currently playing at the NHL level, the Finns should have strong success on their own side of the ice against Slovakia. However, their goaltending is no slouch either. Juuse Saros (Nashville Predators) will likely be the key player between the pipes for the Finns Ukko-Pekka Luukonen (Buffalo Sabres) is injured and replaced by Joonas Korpisalo (Boston Bruins). Barring a major disappointment from the Finns, they should be able to pick up a victory over Slovakia on the opening day.
Favorite: Finland
Players to watch: Juraj Slafkovský (Slovakia), Šimon Nemec (Slovakia), Mikko Rantanen (Finland), Miro Heiskanen (Finland)
Sweden vs Italy (3:10 PM)
Sweden: Rooster
Italy: Rooster
Host country Italy faces a difficult opening match against Sweden. The Italians will have their hands full staying this close and will need excellent play from their defense and goaltending to avoid a lopsided outcome. They currently don’t have a player on their roster in the NHL, and they will face an uphill battle in the preliminary round.
Related: Guide to the 2026 Winter Olympics men’s hockey tournament
The Swedes are among the best teams at this year’s Olympics in terms of overall skills. They are led by Lucas Raymond (Detroit Red Wings), Gabriel Landeskog (Colorado Avalanche) and Rasmus Dahlin (Buffalo Sabres) and will look to get things going early against Italy. They have a strong trio of goaltenders, with Jesper Wallstedt (Minnesota Wild), Jacob Markström (New Jersey Devils) and Filip Gustavsson (Minnesota Wild) all on the roster.
Overall, the Swedes should be able to take care of business to open their preliminary round match against the Italians, as long as they don’t look ahead to their February 13 match against Finland.
Favorite: Sweden
Players to watch: William Nylander (Sweden), Leo Carlsson (Sweden), Damian Clara (Italy), Marco Zanetti (Italy)
The rush for gold begins
Although there are only two matches today, the push for a gold medal begins. Sweden and Finland could very well be in trouble when all is said and done, while Slovakia looks to be a bit of a surprise in a strong Group B. Italy will be looking to put in a solid performance in front of their home fans as hosts. The excitement will only increase as the tournament gets into full swing.
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