2026 Milano Cortina Olympics Hockey Guide: Schedule, Teams & Rosters

As the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milano–Cortina d’Ampezzo approach, hockey fans around the world are buzzing with anticipation. With NHL players returning for the first time since 2014 and both the men’s and women’s tournaments stacked with world-class talent, this will be one of the most exciting Olympic ice hockey events in recent memory. Here’s your definitive guide to everything you need to know about hockey at the 2026 Winter Games — from schedules and team rosters to major storylines and what to watch for on the ice.

Olympic Hockey Schedule Overview

Men’s Tournament

• Dates: 11–22 February 2026

• Venues: Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena (main) & Milano Rho Ice Hockey Arena (secondary)

• Format:

  • Group Stage: 11–15 February

  • Quarterfinals: 17 February

  • Semifinals: 20 February

  • Bronze Medal Game: 21 February

  • Gold Medal Game: 22 February at 14:10

Women’s Tournament

• Dates: 5–19 February 2026

• Opening matches begin before the Opening Ceremony, including Italy vs. France on 5 February.

• Quarterfinals begin 13 February, with medals set for 19 February.

Men’s Full Schedule

Dates: February 11–22, 2026
Teams: 12
Venues: Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena & Milano Rho Ice Hockey Arena

Women’s Full Schedule

Dates: February 5–19, 2026
Teams: 10
Venues: Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena

Tournament Format & Teams

Men’s Tournament

12 nations divided into three groups:

Group A:
🇨🇦 Canada
🇨🇿 Czechia
🇨🇭 Switzerland
🇫🇷 France

Group B:
🇫🇮 Finland
🇸🇪 Sweden
🇸🇰 Slovakia
🇮🇹 Italy (Host)

Group C:
🇺🇸 United States
🇩🇪 Germany
🇱🇻 Latvia
🇩🇰 Denmark

Every team plays round-robin group games, followed by a knockout playoff culminating in medals.

Women’s Tournament

10 teams split into two groups:

Group A: Canada, United States, Finland, Czechia, Switzerland
Group B: Japan, Sweden, Germany, Italy, France

The top teams in each group advance to the quarterfinals, then semis, and medal rounds. 

Men’s Olympic Rosters (2026)

In January 2026, all 12 participating nations revealed their official Olympic rosters.

🇨🇦 Team Canada

Canada assembled an elite lineup featuring a mix of NHL superstars and seasoned veterans.

Goaltenders:
Jordan Binnington, Darcy Kuemper, Logan Thompson

Defense:
Drew Doughty, Cale Makar, Josh Morrissey, Colton Parayko, Shea Theodore, Devon Toews, Thomas Harley, Travis Sanheim

Forwards:
Sidney Crosby, Connor McDavid, Nathan MacKinnon, Macklin Celebrini, Brayden Point, Sam Reinhart, Bo Horvat, Mitch Marner, Brandon Hagel, Brad Marchand, Mark Stone, Nick Suzuki, Tom Wilson, Anthony Cirelli

Note: Anthony Cirelli was initially named, but was later ruled out due to injury and replaced by Sam Bennett shortly before the Games.

🇺🇸 Team USA

Goaltenders:

Connor Hellebuyck, Jake Oettinger, Jeremy Swayman

Defense:

Adam Fox, Charlie McAvoy, Quinn Hughes, Jaccob Slavin, Brock Faber, Zach Werenski, K’Andre Miller, John Carlson

Forwards:

Auston Matthews, Jack Eichel, Matthew Tkachuk, Brady Tkachuk, Jack Hughes, Kyle Connor, Jason Robertson, Dylan Larkin, Chris Kreider, J.T. Miller, Tage Thompson, Clayton Keller, Trevor Zegras, Brock Boeser

Note: Team USA’s biggest storyline is depth down the middle — Matthews, Eichel, Hughes, and Larkin give them arguably the strongest center group in the tournament.

🇫🇮 Finland

Goaltenders:

Juuse Saros, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, Ville Husso

Defense:

Miro Heiskanen, Esa Lindell, Rasmus Ristolainen, Olli Määttä, Henri Jokiharju, Niko Mikkola, Juuso Välimäki, Jani Hakanpää

Forwards:

Sebastian Aho, Aleksander Barkov, Mikko Rantanen, Patrik Laine, Roope Hintz, Teuvo Teräväinen, Artturi Lehkonen, Joel Armia, Kaapo Kakko, Eeli Tolvanen, Mikael Granlund, Anton Lundell, Jesse Puljujärvi, Kasperi Kapanen

Note: Finland continues to lean on elite two-way centers and structured team defense — not flashy, but brutally effective in short tournaments.

🇸🇪 Sweden

Goaltenders:

Jacob Markström, Linus Ullmark, Filip Gustavsson

Defense:

Victor Hedman, Erik Karlsson, Rasmus Dahlin, Hampus Lindholm, Jonas Brodin, Gustav Forsling, Mattias Ekholm, Rasmus Andersson

Forwards:

William Nylander, Elias Pettersson, Mika Zibanejad, Adrian Kempe, Lucas Raymond, Filip Forsberg, Gabriel Landeskog, Jesper Bratt, Elias Lindholm, Alexander Wennberg, Joel Eriksson Ek, Viktor Arvidsson, Carl Grundström, William Karlsson

Note: Sweden’s blue line is stacked with puck movers and shutdown defenders — expect heavy possession hockey and elite transition play.

 

Women’s Olympic Rosters (2026)

All 10 women’s teams have finalized rosters as of January 2026. 

🇨🇦 Team Canada Women

Goaltenders:

Ann‑Renée Desbiens, Emerance Maschmeyer, Kayle Osborne

Defense:

Erin Ambrose, Renata Fast, Sophie Jaques, Jocelyne Larocque, Ella Shelton, Kati Tabin, Claire Thompson

Forwards:

Marie‑Philip Poulin (C), Emily Clark, Sarah Fillier, Jenn Gardiner, Julia Gosling, Brianne Jenner, Emma Maltais, Sarah Nurse, Kristin O’Neill, Natalie Spooner, Laura Stacey, Blayre Turnbull, Daryl Watts

Note: Poulin continues as the heart of Canada’s offense; Clark, Fillier, and Jenner provide elite two-way play. The biggest storylines: Canada is balancing youth (Watts, Gosling, Clark) with veteran leadership (Poulin, Larocque, Nurse).

🇺🇸 Team USA Women

Goaltenders:

Aerin Frankel, Ava McNaughton, Gwyneth Philips

Defense:

Lee Stecklein, Cayla Barnes, Caroline Harvey, Megan Keller, Rory Guilday, Haley Winn, Laila Edwards

Forwards:

Hilary Knight (C), Alex Carpenter (A), Kelly Pannek, Grace Zumwinkle, Hayley Scamurra, Britta Curl‑Salemme, Tessa Janecke, Hannah Bilka, Joy Dunne, Kendall Coyne Schofield, Taylor Heise, Abbey Murphy

Note: Knight and Carpenter anchor the offense; USA’s strength is speed and depth across all four lines. Expect line juggling and rotational usage of younger players like Janecke and Bilka to maximize energy.

🇫🇮 Team Finland Women

Goaltenders:

Sanni Ahola, Anni Keisala, Emilia Kyrkkö

Defense:

Jenni Hiirikoski, Sini Karjalainen, Nelli Laitinen, Sanni Rantala, Ronja Savolainen, Elli Suoranta, Siiri Yrjölä

Forwards:

Elisa Holopainen, Michelle Karvinen, Ida Kuoppala, Julia Liikala, Petra Nieminen, Emma Nuutinen, Jenniina Nylund, Julia Schalin, Susanna Tapani, Noora Tulus, Viivi Vainikka, Sanni Vanhanen, Emilia Vesa

Note: Finland has elite puck-moving defense (Hiirikoski, Laitinen) and dynamic forwards like Holopainen and Karvinen. The big story: Finland is aiming to finally break the North American duopoly and contend for gold with their highly disciplined system.

Major Storylines to Watch

Return of NHL Players

The 2026 Olympics mark the first time since Sochi 2014 that NHL players will compete — a huge shift that elevates the level of competition and global interest.

🇨🇦 vs 🇺🇸 Rivalries and Medal Favorites

The perennial rivalries are front and center:

Men’s side:

• Canada and the United States are early favorites, but teams like Sweden, Finland, and rising squads like Germany are strong and capable of shaking up predictions.

• The group stage could produce major upsets and dramatic knockout games.

Women’s side:

• The USA–Canada rivalry remains a main draw. They’ve met in six of the seven Olympic finals to date and this year promises another intense battle for gold.

Venues Under Scrutiny

With construction on Santagiulia Arena continuing into February and questions about rink dimensions and safety, preparation challenges have become a talking point among players and media alike. 

Star Players to Watch

• Connor McDavid: First Olympic appearance for Canada.

• Sidney Crosby: Veteran leader and two-time Olympic gold medalist.

• Auston Matthews & Tkachuks: Key pillars of Team USA’s offensive attack.

• Hilary Knight: A cornerstone of women’s hockey with fifth Olympic Games.

• Canada’s goaltending situation: There’s debate around who will be Canada’s starter and how he performs under pressure.

• Patrick Kane: Kane is attempting to make his third Olympic team, a compelling subplot for U.S. hockey fans.

• Young European stars like Tim Stützle (Germany) and David Pastrnák (Czechia) could swing games with elite scoring talent.

How Olympic Hockey Works

Olympic hockey is fast-paced and high-stakes compared to a regular hockey tournament. Here’s how it breaks down:

• Tournament Format:

  • Men’s: 12 teams are divided into three groups for round-robin play. Results determine seeding for a single-elimination knockout stage, which ends with the gold-medal game.

  • Women’s: Fewer teams compete, with a format that emphasizes direct qualification to the medal rounds.

• Rink Size:
  Games are played on the larger international rink, which favors speed, puck movement, and positioning over physical play.

• Intensity:
  With no long series like in the NHL, every game matters. A single loss can dramatically affect a team’s chances, making Olympic hockey unpredictable and thrilling.

This format ensures that each matchup is critical, creating a fast, exciting tournament where legends can be made in just a few games.

Broadcast & Coverage Tips

Hockey coverage will be available through major Olympic broadcasters in each region—NBC and Peacock in the U.S., CBC in Canada, or the Olympic Channel internationally—for live streams and replays. Many networks offer apps or streaming platforms with alerts for game start times, key moments, and highlights. To catch all the action, focus on key matchups, like Canada vs. USA or medal-round games, while using condensed or highlights packages for other group-stage contests.

Fans should also follow official IOC and IIHF social channels for live updates, highlights and schedules. Social media and sports news sites are also great for real-time updates, stats, and expert commentary, helping you stay in the loop even if you can’t watch every game live.

2026 Winter Olympics Hockey FAQs (Milan‑Cortina)

1. When does hockey start at the 2026 Winter Olympics?
   The women’s tournament begins on February 5, 2026, one day before the Opening Ceremony. The men’s tournament runs February 11 – 22, 2026.

2. Where will Olympic hockey be played in Milan‑Cortina?
   Games take place at Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena (main venue) and Milano Rho Arena (secondary venue).

3. Will NHL players participate in the 2026 Olympic hockey tournament?
   Yes — NHL players are confirmed to be back for the first time since 2014, following an agreement between the NHL, NHLPA, IIHF, and IOC.

4. How many teams compete in Olympic hockey?
   • Men’s tournament: 12 teams.
   • Women’s tournament: 10 teams.

5. What is the format of Olympic ice hockey?
   Teams play group‑stage games before advancing to elimination rounds, including quarterfinals, semifinals, and medal games.

6. What size is the ice rink at the 2026 Olympics?
   Olympic ice will be slightly shorter and wider than standard NHL rinks, which may impact gameplay dynamics.

7. Who are the medal favorites in Olympic hockey?
   Traditional powerhouses like Canada, the United States, Sweden, and Finland are expected to be top contenders.

8. How many players are on each Olympic hockey roster?
   Men’s teams can have up to 25 players (22 skaters + 3 goalies); women’s teams can have up to 23 players (20 skaters + 3 goalies).

9. Why is the return of NHL players significant?
   Best‑on‑best international hockey renews higher competitive standards and global interest, as NHL stars represent their countries again.

10. Are Russia and Belarus competing in Olympic hockey?
    Due to ongoing IOC policies, Russia and Belarus are banned, affecting participation of their national hockey teams.

11. How can I watch Olympic hockey on TV?
    Broadcast coverage will vary by country; in Canada, platforms like CBC/Gem are expected to stream games, while U.S. broadcasters will provide coverage locally.

12. What are the key rule differences between NHL and Olympic hockey?
    International rules include no fighting, specific overtime formats, and different roster sizes under IIHF regulations.

13. Where can I find tickets for Olympic hockey?
    Tickets are available through the official Milano Cortina 2026 ticketing site, with multiple price categories depending on session and seat location.

14. What nations are in the men’s hockey groups?
    • Group A: Canada, Czechia, Switzerland, France
    • Group B: Finland, Sweden, Slovakia, Italy
    • Group C: United States, Germany, Latvia, Denmark

15. What concerns have been raised about the Milan-Cortina hockey venues?
    Construction delays and rink surface quality have drawn attention, but organizers report confidence the venues will be ready and safe for NHL players.

In Summary

The 2026 Milano–Cortina Olympics will bring elite international ice hockey back to the world’s biggest stage with full NHL participation, national pride on display, and unforgettable moments in store. Whether you’re tracking the schedule, learning the rosters, or looking to get in on some Official Olympic merch for your countries team, this guide has you prepared for all the Olympic hockey action in 2026!