The final preliminary day of the men’s ice hockey tournament at the 2026 Olympics in Milan Cortina took place on Sunday.
Next up are the qualification round and the quarterfinals. The top four teams — Canada, United States, Slovakia, and Finland — have secured byes into the quarterfinals.
Here are the qualification round matchups scheduled for Tuesday:
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No. 5 Switzerland vs. No. 12 Italy (winner will face Finland)
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No. 6 Germany vs. No. 11 France (winner will face Slovakia)
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No. 7 Sweden vs. No. 10 Latvia (winner will face the U.S.)
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No. 8 Czechia vs. No. 9 Denmark (winner will face Canada)
Keep reading for the latest standings, schedule of the day’s matches, leading goal scorers and goaltenders, along with expert picks from ESPN analysts Sean Allen and Victoria Matiash and the latest headlines in Olympic men’s hockey.
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The U.S. men’s hockey team has a challenging path ahead
Greg Wyshynski analyzes the U.S. men’s hockey team’s road to Olympic gold.
Jump ahead:
Standings
Tuesday’s games
Best bets
Stat leaders
Current standings
Tuesday’s schedule
Note: All times are Eastern.
No. 5 Switzerland vs. No. 12 Italy | 6:10 a.m., Peacock
No. 6 Germany vs. No. 11 France | 6:10 a.m., Peacock
No. 8 Czechia vs. No. 9 Denmark | 10:40 a.m., USA/Peacock
No. 7 Sweden vs. No. 10 Latvia | 3:10 p.m., USA/Peacock
Stat leaders
Best bets
Note: Odds by DraftKings Sportsbook, subject to change
Four-team money line parlay (-123): Germany -625, Switzerland -1800, Czechia -325, Sweden -750
The qualification round is presenting increasingly disparate odds, yet even the closest matchup on Tuesday (Czechia against Denmark) displays money line odds typical of a No. 1 vs. No. 32 game at the NHL season’s conclusion. Italy and France are merely competing for pride against the Swiss and Germans, respectively. Denmark and Latvia possess enough NHL talent, including in goal, to pull an upset against Czechia and Sweden.
yet, the odds for favorites across these four games range from approximately -300 to -1800, which is notable. For parlay purposes, while combining all four games may not yield positive-return odds, incorporating puck lines could present more risk, since the strong incentive to increase scores generally applies during the group stage. — Allen
Four-player anytime goal scorer parlay (+1226): Tim Stutzle -115, Timo Meier -185, David Pastrnak -155, Lucas Raymond +180
If a -123 four-pick parlay doesn’t suit your taste, consider stacking the top goal scorers. This is likely the last round of the tournament in which the player pool consists of under 50% NHL players. This allows ample opportunity for the superstars still competing in the tournament.
Stutzle shares the tournament lead with four goals, while Meier trails with three in three games. Raymond is leading the Swedish charge, and Pastrnak is poised for an impactful game. These are my top four selections among favorites, but feel free to swap in Leon Draisaitl (Germany), Nico Hischier (Switzerland), Martin Necas (Czechia), or Adrian Kempe (Sweden) as you see fit. The stars on each team, particularly those featured on power plays, will likely have a productive day. — Allen
Top goal scorer options:
It’s now clear which teams are positioned to advance and possibly end the tournament with additional games played. Since Canada, the U.S., Finland, and Slovakia have received byes, only the eight teams competing on Tuesday have a chance for seven total games. despite Sweden were to advance but fall short of a medal in the bronze match, they might still secure an additional game.
The argument is somewhat weaker with three games already completed and Macklin Celebrini (current goal leader at +275) gaining a significant head start, but interest still lingers. Eriksson Ek leads the tournament with 20 shots on goal, with Nylander and Raymond also in the top 10 with 13 shots each. though all three have long odds to become the tournament’s top scorer, the chance of an extra game exists.
Of course, it must be noted that Sweden’s path to the medal round now involves facing the United States in the quarterfinals. Yes, the road is tough, but if they prevail, they gain a considerable advantage against the competition. — Allen
Latest Olympic hockey headlines
The U.S. remains undefeated, securing the No. 2 seed for the knockout round.
Crosby and McDavid lead Canada in a decisive victory over France.
Eichel and Tkachuk led the unbeaten U.S. past Denmark.
A late goal in loss benefits Slovakia, while Finland dominates.
Finland edges out Sweden; Canada secures a win.
The U.S. men’s hockey team dominates Latvia in their opener.
Celebrini leads Canada to a resounding victory in Olympic hockey.
Slovakia stuns Finland to kick off the men’s hockey tournament.
Canada and the U.S. lead the betting odds for men’s gold medals.
Matthews appointed as the U.S. captain for men’s hockey.
Czechia loses Bruins center Zacha due to injury for the Games.
