Ice Hockey Discussion | Qualification to Winter Olympic Games Milano Cortina 2026 Road to Milano Cortina 2026

[NearPup 3,496]

46 minutes ago, hckošice said:

WOG 2026 Groups

 

With (25% possibility)

 

A-

B-

 

 

without (75% possibility)

 

A-

B-

 

 

Same format as Beijing 22

 

All 5 teams from Group A and Top 3 teams from Group B will qualify for the quarterfinals

 

1Avs3B

2Avs2B

3Avs1B

4Avs5A

Wouldn’t  be seeded lower than  due to being the replacement team (as in the men’s tournament)?

[stepansevs 145]

1 hour ago, hckošice said:

WOG 2026 Groups

 

With (25% possibility)

 

A-

B-

 

 

without (75% possibility)

 

A-

B-

 

 

Same format as Beijing 22

 

All 5 teams from Group A and Top 3 teams from Group B will qualify for the quarterfinals

 

1Avs3B

2Avs2B

3Avs1B

4Avs5A

Great. We are in QF now! :-)

But to be fair, i think it is time to change format.

10 Teams, two normal groups.

Winner of group semifinal 2nd and 3rd team QF. 4th and 5th team: bottom semifinal.

Let's start to play for sth in groups.

[EselTheDonkey 834]

16 hours ago, NearPup said:

Wouldn’t  be seeded lower than  due to being the replacement team (as in the men’s tournament)?

It doesn't really matter in this case, does it?  Except maybe for the Order of Play.

[EselTheDonkey 834]

15 hours ago, stepansevs said:

Great. We are in QF now! :-)

But to be fair, i think it is time to change format.

10 Teams, two normal groups.

Winner of group semifinal 2nd and 3rd team QF. 4th and 5th team: bottom semifinal.

Let's start to play for sth in groups.

I don't think they want matches between USA and Canada on the one side and the weakest teams on the other side in the tournament. It could be really grim. It's bad enough, that they have a realistic chance to make it into two digits against the other semifinalists.

[intoronto 6,410]

Hockey World cup for 2028 is confirmed

 

https://toronto.citynews.ca/2025/02/12/nhl-world-cup-of-hockey-2028/

 

8 team, and no mixed teams. So Slovakia and Germany? Switzerland?

[JoshMartini007 2,765]

I believe only six nations,  have enough NHL players to field full teams, any other nation would need to use players from other leagues (also who knows what the status of Russia will be by then).

 

The article did mention they are looking to Europe to host games so maybe the NHL will leverage that nation's domestic league to release their players.

[Bailer 45]

The NHL should just cooperate more closely with the IIHF. We can have 2 strong international tournaments, the Olympics and the World Championship.

[Bailer 45]

11 hours ago, JoshMartini007 said:

I believe only six nations,  have enough NHL players to field full teams, any other nation would need to use players from other leagues (also who knows what the status of Russia will be by then).

 

The article did mention they are looking to Europe to host games so maybe the NHL will leverage that nation's domestic league to release their players.

Apparently, they want Russia in, but I don't see how the European teams would ever be fine with that.

[evil betty 65]

On 2/9/2025 at 4:18 PM, stepansevs said:

Great. We are in QF now! :-)

But to be fair, i think it is time to change format.

10 Teams, two normal groups.

Winner of group semifinal 2nd and 3rd team QF. 4th and 5th team: bottom semifinal.

Let's start to play for sth in groups.

fortunately that is what is happening for the 2026 worlds, but not in time for the Olympics I imagine.

[Josh 11,528]

PWHL co top-scorer Hannah Miller, who represented China at Beijing 2022 and was born in Vancouver, submitted a request to play for to the IIHF.
 

China apparently isn’t allowing naturalized players on their roster anymore, so this is her only option for playing at an international level. 
 

Would be a big boost to our Olympic title hopes.