The men's hockey quarterfinals at the Milan Games delivered unprecedented excitement. Three of the four matches were decided in overtime, where the North American favorites had to sweat until the last second. Canada defeated the Czech Republic with a last-second shot, and the United States eliminated Sweden. Joining them in the medal zone were the teams from Finland and Slovakia, which soundly defeated a weakened Germany.

Overtime determined semifinalists

As many as three quarterfinal matches ended in ties after 60 minutes. The advancement of Canada, USA, and Finland was decided by golden goals in three-on-three overtime.

Sidney Crosby's injury

The captain of the Canadian team left the ice in the second period. The injury to the legendary forward puts his participation in the fight for the gold medal in doubt.

German team's defeat

Despite the presence of stars from the NHL, Germany lost to Slovakia 2:6. Slovakia will now face the USA team in the battle for the final.

The quarterfinal matches at the 2026 Winter Olympic Games in Milan will go down in history as some of the most fiercely contested. The Canadian team, considered the main contender for gold, was one step away from a sensational elimination in the clash with the Czech Republic. The Canadians were trailing in the third period but managed to equalize thanks to a goal by Nick Suzuki. The final 4:3 victory was secured in the second minute of overtime by Mitch Marner. However, the mood in the "Maple Leaf" team is clouded by the injury of its captain, Sidney Crosby. The star suffered a lower-body injury, and his participation in the semifinal is in doubt. The match between USA and Sweden was equally thrilling. The Americans dominated for most of the game but lost the lead with a minute and a half left in regulation time. In overtime, defenseman Quinn Hughes took on the role of hero, with a powerful shot giving the USA a 2:1 victory. The Swedes had to manage without their defensive leader, Victor Hedman; the player suffered a groin injury during warm-up. Meanwhile, the defending champions, Finland, came back from a two-goal deficit against Switzerland, ultimately winning 3:2 after a goal by Artturi Lehkonen. Only Slovakia avoided a nerve-wracking finish, confidently defeating Germany 6:2. The return of NHL players to the Olympic Games in 2026 occurred after a twelve-year break. The last time professionals from the world's top league participated in the tournament was in Sochi in 2014, which significantly raised the prestige and sporting level of the competition in Milan. In the women's tournament, the situation seems much clearer, though no less exciting. The USA and Canada will face off again in the grand final. The Americans are indicated as favorites in this clash, but the history of their rivalry shows that details decide gold medal matches. This is a repeat of the scenario that has dominated women's hockey since its debut at the Games in 1998. Fans are also eagerly awaiting the men's semifinals, where Canada will face Finland, and the USA will take on the surprising Slovakia. „It hurts. We had many NHL players on the team and high hopes for a medal, but today that wasn't enough against the brilliantly performing Slovaks.” — Leon Draisaitl [{"strona1": "Canada", "strona2": "Czech Republic", "wynik1": 4, "wynik2": 3, "runda": "quarterfinal"}, {"strona1": "USA", "strona2": "Sweden", "wynik1": 2, "wynik2": 1, "runda": "quarterfinal"}, {"strona1": "Finland", "strona2": "Switzerland", "wynik1": 3, "wynik2": 2, "runda": "quarterfinal"}, {"strona1": "Slovakia", "strona2": "Germany", "wynik1": 6, "wynik2": 2, "runda": "quarterfinal"}]

Mentioned People

  • Mitch Marner — Scorer of the winning goal for Canada in overtime against the Czech Republic.
  • Sidney Crosby — Captain of the Canadian team who suffered an injury during the quarterfinal.
  • Quinn Hughes — American defenseman who scored the decisive goal in the match against Sweden.