The 2026 Men’s Winter Olympics Hockey Tournament has finally arrived. After not seeing NHL players compete in the Olympic Games since the 2014 Games in Sochi, they are once again back representing their countries on the biggest stage. The opening day of preliminary-round play features two Group B matchups, including the host country, Italy.
Slovakia vs Finland (10:40 a.m.)
Slovakia: Roster
Finland: Roster
In the bigger of the two matchups on the opening day, two countries loaded with NHL talent square off when 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 roster with plenty of firepower.
The biggest area of concern for the Slovaks in this game, 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 stand 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 to be a problem for any team throughout the preliminary round and beyond. They will surely keep the Slovakian team on their toes defensively.
Finland also has the horses from the backend of the ice, at 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 in their own end of the ice against Slovakia. Their goaltending is no slouch either, though. Juuse Saros (Nashville Predators) will likely be the lead man in between the pipes for the Finns, with Ukko-Pekka Luukonen (Buffalo Sabres) being injured and replaced by Joonas Korpisalo (Boston Bruins). Barring a major letdown from the Finns, they should be able to pull off an opening-day victory over Slovakia.
Favorite: Finland
Players to Watch: Juraj Slafkovský (Slovakia), Šimon Nemec (Slovakia), Mikko Rantanen (Finland), Miro Heiskanen (Finland)
Sweden vs Italy (3:10 p.m.)
Sweden: Roster
Italy: Roster
The host country, Italy, faces a tough opening game against Sweden. The Italians will have their hands full keeping this close and will need superb play from their defense and goaltending to avoid a lopsided outcome. They do not have a player on their roster currently in the NHL, and they will face an uphill battle throughout the preliminary round.
Related: Guide to the 2026 Winter Olympics Men’s Hockey Tournament
The Swedes are among the deepest teams in this year’s Olympics in terms of overall skill. They are led by Lucas Raymond (Detroit Red Wings), Gabriel Landeskog (Colorado Avalanche), and Rasmus Dahlin (Buffalo Sabres) and will look to get things rolling early on 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 matchup against the Italians, as long as they do not look ahead to their Feb. 13 game against Finland.
Favorite: Sweden
Players to Watch: William Nylander (Sweden), Leo Carlsson (Sweden), Damian Clara (Italy), Marco Zanetti (Italy)
Push For Gold Begins
While there are only two games today, the push for a Gold Medal begins. Sweden and Finland could very well find themselves in the thick of things when everything is said and done, while Slovakia is looking to be a bit of a surprise in a strong Group B. Italy will be looking to put on a solid showing in front of their home fans as the host country. The excitement will only increase as the tournament kicks into full gear.
