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NHL 2026: The Olympics Will Be Mammoth!

More injuries and McKinnon is hobbled. Can’t see the Avs coming back in this series. Have to hope for a sweep so that Vegas gets tight from a loooong break.
 
Despite their best efforts the US made the quarterfinals of the World Championships after beating Austria 4-1 today.

Onto their quarterfinal game against Canada.
 
It's interesting that the U.S. men's team has struggled more in both the Olympics and the World's vs. the WJC, and I suspect it's likely because some of the other nations lose their best players earlier to the NHL? Yes, the US won the World's in 2025 and the Olympics this year, but before that hadn't medaled since 2021 at the World's in an event played annually, while they've only medaled 4 times since 1960 at the Olympics.
 
Slap Shot said:
It's interesting that the U.S. men's team has struggled more in both the Olympics and the World's vs. the WJC, and I suspect it's likely because some of the other nations lose their best players earlier to the NHL? Yes, the US won the World's in 2025 and the Olympics this year, but before that hadn't medaled since 2021 at the World's in an event played annually, while they've only medaled 4 times since 1960 at the Olympics.
Click to expand...
Well, during the 70’s and 80’s the (relative) lack of medals can be attributed to the East Bloc countries (and to a lesser extent Sweden and Finland) using essentially NHL level talent that was “amateur”. The rest can be attributed to mostly mismanagement by USA Hockey, especially 2018 and 2022 (Nearly every other country has a good track of their players playing in the various European leagues but USA Hockey doesn’t).

Worlds is a bit of a confluence of not being able to convince players to actually play, piss poor coaching and bad luck. It was a bit fascinating last year to see the reactions of various Europeans at the US winning Worlds, most couldn’t believe that the US hadn’t won in 90+ years.
 
Worlds QF:

1A Switzerland v 4B Sweden
1B Canada v 4A US
2A Finland v 3B Czechia
2B Norway v 3A Latvia

Slovakia just missed, at 5B.

Norway finishing ahead of Sweden in their group will no doubt be the cause of much Scandinavian amusement.
 
Having moved back to Boston in Feb. 1968 after living in Kansas for 10 years I got to see my first hockey game(there was ice in Kansas but no hockey) and fell in love with the sport. The NHL had just expanded from 6 to 12 teams in 1967, but the original 6 was where the rivalries were. The Canadiens were the team that was hated and that feeling hasn't subsided for me.
 
Oh, and it just came out the IIHF Disciplinary Board and annulled the blanket Russia ban.

“Instead, the matter has been sent back to the IIHF Council, which will reassess Russia’s status based on “safety, security, operational, and sporting plans” before making decisions on an event-by-event basis.”

So they could theoretically be allowed in women’s worlds, and men’s juniors, but not U18 or men’s worlds..

sports.yahoo.com

Hockey world divided after IIHF’s new announcement on Russia

The International Ice Hockey Federation has reopened the debate surrounding Russia‘s place in international hockey. This development came after they issued a new statement on Friday regarding the country’s eligibility for future competitions. The IIHF confirmed that its Disciplinary Board…
sports.yahoo.com sports.yahoo.com
 
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