The final four countries remaining at the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026 will see representation from across all 32 NHL teams throughout its rosters.
* Team USA and Team Slovakia clash in the semifinals for their seventh all-time meeting as they both continue their pursuit of their first gold medal in Olympics with NHL participation.
* The reigning gold medal winners take on the last team to win gold in an Olympics with NHL participation when Team Finland goes head-to-head with Team Canada in the semifinals on Friday.
* After three of four quarterfinals in the men’s tournament required overtime on Wednesday, Team USA captured their third gold medal in Olympic women’s hockey on Thursday with veteran forward Megan Keller netting the championship-clinching goal in overtime.
ALL 32 NHL TEAMS REPRESENTED IN 2026 OLYMPIC SEMIFINALS
All 32 NHL teams will have at least one player represented on the rosters of the final four countries battling for medals at the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026, with 81 current NHL players along with NHL prospects a part of Team Canada, Finland, USA and Slovakia.
* Team USA has the largest representation of NHL teams (18), while Team Finland has the most players from a single NHL team (4 from DAL).
TEAM USA, SLOVAKIA SET FOR SECOND OLYMPIC MEETING WITH NHL PLAYERS
Team USA and Team Slovakia will meet in the Olympics for the seventh time and first since their quarterfinal bout at the 2022 Olympics, which Slovakia won 3-2 in a shootout. The Americans, however hold the edge over the Slovaks in their all-time Olympic matchups with a record of 3-0-1-1-1 (W, OTW, OTL, L, T), which includes a win in their only meeting at an Olympics with NHL players (2014 RR).
* Team Slovakia looks to return to the semifinals after also reaching that stage in 2022 en route to its first Olympic medal (bronze) in team history. The country also reached the final four at an Olympics with NHL players once before in 2010, which was one of two Olympic Games featuring NHL players that Team USA medaled at (silver in 2010 & 2002). The Americans have advanced to a semifinals 13 times, having last done so at the 2014 Olympics, and have captured 11 Olympic medals after reaching that stage of a tournament (2 gold, 8 silver, 1 bronze).
* Canadiens forward Juraj Slafkovský (3-4—7 in 4 GP) continues to lead Team Slovakia at Milano Cortina 2026 after the forward also helped them reach the semifinals at the 2022 Olympics. Slafkovský, one of 10 players on Team Slovakia’s roster who returned from the bronze-medal winning team in 2022, is the reigning tournament MVP after posting 7-0—7 in seven games. Slafkovský is currently tied for fourth in goals and fifth in points in Milan and can become the third Slovak to record at least eight points in an Olympic tournament with NHL players, following Marian Hossa (10 in 2006 & 9 in 2010) and Pavol Demitra (9 in 2010).
ICYMI: Slafkovský is one of eight players featured in “NHL MY WORLD”, a short-form series featuring eight NHL players from eight different countries. Click here to watch his episode on YouTube.
* Despite having no Olympic medalists on their current roster, Team USA has 21 of 23 players from its 4 Nations Face-Off roster, including Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews (3-3—6 in 4 GP). Wild defenseman Quinn Hughes (1-5—6 in 4 GP) was originally named to the 4 Nations roster but missed the tournament due to injury. Both Matthews and Hughes can extend their point streak to five games and match Zach Parise (2010) for the longest run by an American at an Olympics featuring NHL players.
FAMILIAR FOES IN TEAM CANADA, FINLAND FACE OFF IN SEMIFINALS FRIDAY
Familiar foes take the ice for the semifinals as Team Canada and Team Finland meet for the 15th time in the Olympics and just the fifth time with NHL participation (1998 BMG, 2002 QF, 2006 RR & 2014 RR). The Canadians hold the edge with eight wins in their previous meetings (7-1-0-6-0) while the Finns have six (6-0-1-7-0), but both countries are split down the center in Olympics with NHL players – Canada claimed victory against Finland in the 2002 quarterfinals and 2014 round robin and Finland bested Canada in the 1998 bronze medal game as well as the 2006 round robin.
* Team Canada returns to the semifinals of the Olympics for the eighth time overall and fifth time in six tournaments with NHL players, having won three of those previous four en route to gold medals, including the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi where they defeated Team USA 1-0. Team Finland, meanwhile, will make its seventh semifinals appearance and fifth in Olympics with NHL players. Finland has won two of its previous six semifinals, with their most recent win coming in the 2022 Olympic Winter Games in Beijing where they won the gold medal while their only semifinal win in Olympics with NHL participation came against Russia on Feb. 24, 2006 in Torino en route to a silver medal.
* Team Canada and Team Finland are both decorated at the Olympics. Canada leads all teams with 16 Olympic medals, made up of nine gold – the most among all countries – four silver and three bronze. Three of those gold medals have come in Olympics with NHL participation (2002, 2010 & 2014). Finland ranks sixth with seven medals overall, including four in Olympics with NHL players (1 silver & 3 bronze), and is the only country to collect a medal at three straight Olympics with NHL participation (2006, 2010 & 2014).
* Finland is led into the semifinals by Predators goaltender Juuse Saros (3-1-0-0), who was one of the 18 players on the team that also represented the country at the 4 Nations Face-Off. Saros is currently tied with Connor Hellebuyck (3-0-0-0 w/ USA), Leonardo Genoni (3-0-2-1 w/ SUI) and Jordan Binnington (3-0-0-0 w/ CAN), who he will likely face Friday, for the most wins among all goaltenders at the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026. With a win against Canada, Saros would surpass Miikka Kiprusoff (3 in 2010) and Tuukka Rask (3 in 2014) for the second-most wins by a Finnish goaltender in an Olympic tournament with NHL participation behind only Antero Niittymaki (5 in 2006).
* Team Canada hopes to see Oilers forward Connor McDavid (2-9—11 in 4 GP) and Sharks forward Macklin Celebrini (5-4—9 in 4 GP) put up another big performance Friday. McDavid, one of 19 players to return from Canada’s 4 Nations Face-Off roster, needs one point to set a record for the most in an Olympic tournament with NHL participation. Meanwhile, 19-year-old Celebrini, who was not a part of the 4 Nations Face-Off roster last year during his rookie season, has scored in four straight games and will look to match John LeClair (6 in 2002), Olli Jokinen (6 in 2006) and Teemu Selanne (6 in 2006) for the second-most goals in an Olympic tournament featuring NHL players behind Pavel Bure (9 in 1998).
KELLER DELIVERS GOLDEN GOAL IN OT FOR TEAM USA
Kristin O’Neill lifted Team Canada to a 1-0 lead with a shorthanded goal in the opening minute of the second period, a lead they held for most of the contest until veteran American forward Hilary Knight, skating in her fifth and final Olympic Games, tied the score with just 2:04 remaining in regulation and the goaltender pulled for an extra attacker. That set the stage for overtime, where another U.S. veteran, Megan Keller, finished off a thrilling dash to score the winning goal and secure gold for Team USA.
* Thursday marked the seventh time Team USA and Team Canada met in the gold medal game at the Olympics and the third that required extra time after Team USA’s shootout win in 2018 and Team Canada’s overtime win in 2014. One of either Team USA (3x) or Team Canada (5x) has won gold in every women’s Olympic tournament.
* Fans can commemorate Team USA’s victory with 2026 gold medal apparel, available for purchase at Shop.NHL.com – the official online store of the NHL.
AROUND THE NHL: NEW TEAMS SET TO RENEW PLAYOFF PUSH
The NHL’s playoff push resumes Wednesday when the League returns to action with an eight-game slate. Playoff turnover looms as a major theme heading into the final seven weeks of the regular season as eight teams that missed the playoffs last season currently occupy a postseason position, including the Sabres, Kraken, Mammoth and Ducks, who all will hit the ice Wednesday night (also BOS, DET, NYI, PIT).
* With eight teams occupying a playoff position after missing the postseason last year, the NHL could see its highest year-over-year playoff turnover in League history. The current benchmark is seven (2020-21, 2017-18, 2016-17 & 2014-15).
QUICK CLICKS
* Team USA inspired by Johnny Gaudreau’s legacy
* There will be a lot of Panthers on both sides of Finland-Canada semifinal
* Juraj Slafkovsky, young core putting Slovakia back on hockey map
* Artemi Panarin ready to help Kings in playoff push