Milan: The men’s ice hockey tournament at the Winter Olympics has reached its decisive phase, with four teams booking their spots in the semi-finals after a dramatic night of quarter-final action on Wednesday.
Three of the four contests required overtime, underlining just how finely balanced the competition has become.
Top seeds Canada men’s national ice hockey team and the United States men’s national ice hockey team both survived tense encounters to keep their gold medal ambitions intact.
Canada edged past the Slovakia men’s national ice hockey team 4-3 in a pulsating early game. The decisive moment came in overtime when star forward Mitch Marner broke free on a breakaway and calmly slotted home the winner, completing a comeback that sent Canadian supporters into celebration.
The late fixture delivered similar drama. The United States appeared poised for victory before the Sweden men’s national ice hockey team forced overtime with a late third-period equaliser. However, American defenceman Quinn Hughes emerged as the hero, firing in the 2-1 sudden-death winner to propel his side into the final four.
Finland also needed extra time to advance. The Finland men’s national ice hockey team defeated the Switzerland men’s national ice hockey team 3-2, with Artturi Lehkonen netting the overtime winner in a tightly contested clash.
The only regulation-time result saw Slovakia produce a commanding 6-2 victory over the Germany men’s national ice hockey team, sealing their semi-final berth in emphatic fashion.
The semi-final matchups are now set: Canada will face Finland in a heavyweight showdown, while the United States take on Slovakia for a place in the gold medal game.
With nerves tested and resilience on full display, the battle for Olympic ice hockey supremacy at Milano Cortina 2026 heads into its final, high-stakes chapter.
Source: Milano Cortina Olympics 2026
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