Famed American sportscaster Al Michaels says it best: “There is nothing like Olympic hockey.” Michaels would know, beings that he made the most iconic call in sports history when he cried, “Do You Believe in Miracles, YES!”
As far as the merits of Michaels’ statement about Olympic Hockey, he is on the money.
The men's ice hockey tournament at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics is the most anticipated in over a decade, marking the return of NHL players for the first time since 2014. The tournament begins on February 11, 2026, and concludes with the Gold Medal game on February 22.
First is the Preliminary Round (Feb 11–15). Teams play a round-robin within their group.
Nex is the Qualification Play-offs (Feb 17). The top four teams (three group winners plus the best second-place team) receive a bye to the quarterfinals. The remaining eight teams play an elimination game to determine the other four quarterfinalists.
And then come the Final Rounds: Quarterfinals are held on February 18, Semifinals on February 20, and the Bronze Medal game on February 21. The Gold Medal Game is on February 22.
Gambling interest in Men’s Olympic Hockey is higher than for any other event. The betting windows are braced for a continuous stampede after massive futures market action.
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Winter Olympics Betting at Bookmaker
Milan, Italy, is the venue for the 2026 Olympics and the Men’s Olympic Hockey Tournament. The Tournament will run from February 11-22, 2026, with media coverage on NBC, Peacock, USA Network, CNBC, Telemundo, and Universo.
2026 Olympics Men’s Hockey Betting Lines
Canada +120, USA +175, Sweden +600, Finland +1000, All Other Teams +2500 or Higher.
Aside from injuries, everyone will see the world's best hockey players (aside from the Russians) compete for Olympic gold. Connor McDavid, Auston Matthews, Mikko Rantanen, Leon Draisaitl, and David Pastrnak have all been superstars in the NHL for the better part of 10 years, and none of them have played in the Olympics. Their time has arrived.
2026 Olympics Men’s Hockey Gold Medal Top Contenders
Canada
When a country can leave the likes of Connor Bedard and Evan Bouchard at home, you know it has some serious depth. While those decisions raised more than a few eyebrows, Canada is likely to have Selke-caliber talent on the fourth line, a luxury no other country will have.
But that is not what has separated them from the pack. Canada may be deeper, but Canada's best players, at the peak of their powers, are still the best in the world. Sidney Crosby was at the peak of his powers in 2014 when Canada won gold, his second. Now, he's still one of Canada's best, but he's aided by Nathan MacKinnon, Connor McDavid, and Cale Makar, who are at the peak of their powers in 2026.
Other countries have produced elite talent, and the NHL has never had more nations represented at the top than it does now. But when McDavid and MacKinnon are at their best, there is not a player on the planet who is better. If they are at their best, as they were in key moments at the 4 Nations Face-Off, Canada will be hard to stop. They've scored big goals, made big plays, and overpowered opponents in key moments.
USA
The answer here could be "leadership," given some of the roster decisions. Because of those puzzling decisions, the Americans will need their goaltenders to be at their best after leaving some of their top goal scorers at home. Specifically, that would be Cole Caufield and Jason Robertson.
Without question, the Americans have the best collection of goaltenders at the Olympics. Whether it is Connor Hellebuyck, Jake Oettinger, or Jeremy Swayman in goal, it will need to be Vezina-caliber goaltending to win gold. In their roster construction, the Americans plan to play low-scoring, tight games. To succeed with that plan, goaltending must be nothing less than stellar.
Sweden
Injuries have hit the Swedes hard, and their depth is being severely tested. There is no time like the present for Elias Pettersson to step up for his country. He hasn't been the same player for almost 1½ years, but he would not be the first Swede to thrive while wearing the Tre Kronor. At his best, Pettersson is a power-play dynamo and a reliable two-way center who can make a difference. He still has the talent to beat goalies clean from various areas of the offensive zone. If he can do that, that's significant for the Swedes, especially given who won't be playing.
Finland
Finland faces an uphill climb to contend for gold without its best player, Aleksander Barkov. Finland has the luxury of depth and will still have Sebastian Aho, Roope Hintz, and Anton Lundell as the top three centers.
Historically, Finland has played staunch defense as a unit and benefited from excellent goaltending. Juuse Saros is Finland's most talented goaltender and, at his best, can steal games; his best is among the best in the world.
2026 Olympics Men’s Hockey Gold Medal Best Bets
Canada is the class of the tournament with the world’s best player, pride, and tradition.
Gold Medal Main Pick: Team Canada
2026 Olympic Hockey Schedule
Games stream on Peacock in the U.S., with some on USA Network. Top group finishers advance directly to quarterfinals (February17-18 onward), with playoffs continuing toward the gold-medal game on February22.
Wednesday, February 11
Group B
Slovakia vs. Finland | 10:40 a.m.
Sweden vs. Italy | 3:10 p.m.
Thursday, February 12
Group A
Switzerland vs. France | 6:10 a.m.
Czechia vs. Canada | 10:40 a.m.
Group C
Latvia vs. USA | 3:10 p.m.
Germany vs. Denmark | 3:10 p.m.
Friday, February 13
Group B
Finland vs. Sweden | 6:10 a.m.
Italy vs. Slovakia | 6:10 a.m.
Group A
France vs. Czechia | 10:40 a.m.
Canada vs. Switzerland | 3:10 p.m.
Saturday, February 14
Group B
Sweden vs. Slovakia | 6:10 a.m.
Finland vs. Italy | 10:40 a.m.
Group C
Germany vs. Latvia | 6:10 a.m.
USA vs. Denmark | 3:10 p.m.
Sunday, February 15
Group A
Switzerland vs. Czechia | 6:10 a.m.
Canada vs. France | 10:40 a.m.
Group C
USA vs. Germany | 3:10 p.m.
Denmark vs. Latvia | 3:10 p.m.
Tuesday, February17
Qualification playoff matchups
Wednesday, February18
Quarterfinal matchups
Friday, February 20
Semifinal matchups
Saturday, February 21
Bronze medal game | 2:40 p.m.
Sunday, February 22
Gold medal game | 8:10 a.m.
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