Returning to the crease, Finland No. 1 Juuse Saros posted a high-end .943 save percentage and 1.67 GAA during the World Championship last spring, while likely Slovak starter Samuel Hlavaj is struggling in the AHL with respective .884 and 3.33 marks.

The time has come, the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympic hockey tournament begins on February 11th with NHL players in tow. For this special edition on Last Word On Hockey, we will be doing full Olympic tournament predictions.

The Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026 begins Wednesday when the 12 nations compete in three groups. Group A consists of Canada, Czechia, France and Switzerland. Finland, Italy, Sweden and Slovakia will play in Group B. Group C features Denmark, Germany, Latvia and the United States.

Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games Men's Hockey Event The main event of the Olympic Winter Games is slotted to feature a competition among 12 participating teams in the 2026 Winter Olympics. These teams participating in the Winter Olympics shall be competing with other participants in different groups or categories.

Finland hold a narrow edge through defensive structure and head-to-head consistency, but Slovakia’s top line can pressure in open ice. The main risk comes from Finland controlling pace early and limiting total shot volume. Best Bet: Total goals over 5.0

The 26-year-old forward will represent Slovakia at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milano Cortina; the lone Calgary Flames player selected for the tournament. Pospisil will trade in the Flames’ red and yellow for Slovakia’s blue, red, and white as he prepares for his first Olympic appearance.

A former NHL star is ready to lead his country in Milan. On Monday, the Slovak Ice Hockey Federation announced that forward Tomas Tatar will be the captain of the men’s ice hockey team at the 2026 Winter Olympics.

The 2026 Winter Olympics, featuring 16 sports with 116 medal events, will take place from Feb. 4 to Feb. 22 in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy. Preliminary events will begin on Feb. 4, the opening ceremony will be Feb.

The opening ceremony of the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics is complete at Milan's San Siro Stadium. Featuring simultaneous ceremonies in the mountain towns of Cortina, Livigno and Predazzo, the day's festivities included performances from Mariah Carey,

MILAN -- The Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026 men’s hockey tournament begins Wednesday when the 12 nations compete in three groups. Group A consists of Canada, Czechia, France and Switzerland. Finland, Italy, Sweden and Slovakia will play in Group B. Group C features Denmark, Germany, Latvia and the United States.