Slovakia Shocks, Germany Roars in Olympic Hockey Quarters

The Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026 men's hockey tournament has reached its intense quarterfinal stage, with four crucial games scheduled for Wednesday. These matchups will determine which teams advance to the medal round, with semifinals on Friday, followed by the bronze and gold medal games on Saturday and Sunday, respectively.

Four teams, including Canada, the USA, Slovakia, and Finland, who received automatic byes to the quarterfinals, will be returning to action after a break. All four quarterfinal contests are predicted to be highly competitive and exciting.

One of the most anticipated matchups pits Slovakia against Germany. Slovakia emerged as the biggest surprise of the preliminary round by winning a challenging Group B, which included powerhouses Finland and Sweden. Their advancement to this round was secured by a crucial goal scored with just 39 seconds remaining against Sweden, which ultimately earned them a tiebreaker advantage and a bye.

However, the bye and goal-differential advantages are now irrelevant, as it is a win-or-go-home situation. Slovakia has displayed strong performances, spearheaded by Montreal Canadiens forward Juraj Slafkovsky, noted for his powerful play. Germany is also bringing significant talent, featuring NHL stars Leon Draisaitl, Tim Stutzle, and JJ Peterka, who have been deployed on the same line. Germany enters this quarterfinal match on a victorious note, having recently defeated France 5-1. Slovakia, meanwhile, is coming off a loss and has had two days of rest.