"The 2026 Winter Olympic men's hockey tournament begins on Feb. 12 in Milan, Italy. Provided that the ice and the arena are ready, which is something the nations competing in his tournament have been assured about. "We've taken some steps to make sure that we have backup plans should we need them, but we've heard from the IIHF and the IOC that the arena will be built and it will be ready and that's our expectation," Hockey Canada executive Scott Salmond said when his team revealed its roster Wednesday."
"Even with a couple significant snubs, this might be the greatest assemblage of forward talent the U.S. has ever had in the Olympic tournament. The one-two punch of Eichel and Matthews gives the U.S. two all-world centers in their primes, which is something they've never experienced. No doubt Team USA was relieved to see a vintage Matthews performance for the Leafs this week -- they desperately need him in dominant form to win this tournament."
The 2026 Winter Olympic men's hockey tournament will begin Feb. 12 in Milan, Italy, with national teams and organizers expecting the ice and arena to be ready. Hockey Canada noted backup plans and received assurances from the IIHF and IOC that the arena will be built and ready. Rosters were finalized at the end of 2025, clarifying strengths, weaknesses, surprises and snubs across nations. The United States assembled a particularly strong forward group anchored by Jack Eichel and Auston Matthews, with Matthews carrying captaincy and expectations of dominant play. The tournament shapes up for intense medal battles, including a heated USA–Canada rivalry.
Read at ESPN.com
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]