The Men’s Hockey Tournament in the 2026 Winter Olympics has reached the final two days, beginning with the bronze medal game today. After losing their semifinal games, Finland and Slovakia will face off to claim bronze.
Finland vs Slovakia (2:40 p.m.)
How Finland Got Here
- Feb. 11- 4-1 loss vs Slovakia
- Feb. 13- 4-1 win vs Sweden
- Feb. 14- 11-0 win vs Italy
- Feb. 18- 3-2 overtime win vs Switzerland (Quarterfinals)
- Feb. 20- 3-2 loss vs Canada (Semifinals)
How Slovakia Got Here
- Feb 11- 4-1 win vs Finland
- Feb. 13- 3-2 win vs Italy
- Feb. 14- 5-3 loss vs Sweden
- Feb. 18- 6-2 win vs Germany (Quarterfinals)
- Feb. 20- 6-2 loss vs United States (Semifinals)
In a rematch of the first game of the preliminary round, this matchup should be tightly contested. Slovakia has remained as the surprise team at this year’s Olympics. They have only seven players currently playing in the NHL, but they have been a tough team to play against. The Slovaks have been led by Juraj Slafkovský (Montreal Canadiens), who has carried over his strong Olympic performances from 2022. He has tallied eight points in the tournament to lead Slovakia.
After being pulled in the loss to the United States, Samuel Hlavaj should be the starting goaltender for Slovakia in the matchup today. He looked great all tournament long before giving up four goals to the Americans, and he is a big reason his team has gotten this far. He will need to have a bounce-back game against a tough Finnish team to give his team another chance to win.
For the rest of the team in front of him, they will need to generate more offense compared to what they did against the United States, tallying only 24 shots in Connor Hellebuyck (Winnipeg Jets). Taking advantage of the Finnish penalty kill, which ranks eighth among all teams in the tournament, will be key for the Slovaks as well.
After seeing their two-goal lead evaporate against Canada in yesterday’s loss, Finland will need to come out the same way they did against the Canadians, but keep the pressure on Slovakia to finish the job. They could take a page out of the United States’ playbook and play a physical, “in-your-face” style, keeping the Slovaks on their heels a bit defensively. They had good success in their 4-1 win over Slovakia at the beginning of the tournament, but Slovakia has gotten better as the tournament has progressed, and are a bit of a different team.
Related: Guide to the 2026 Winter Olympics Men’s Hockey Tournament
The Finns have been led by Mikko Rantanen (Dallas Stars) and Sebastian Aho (Carolina Hurricanes) on the offensive side of things, and Juuse Saros (Nashville Predators) helped them immensely in their semifinal loss to Canada, stopping 36 shots. Getting the same kind of play from him in this game would go a long way toward getting their second medal in as many Olympics. They have the overall depth and NHL talent on their roster that should be able to overpower Slovakia, but the Slovaks have shown throughout the tournament that their chemistry is strong, and this matchup has all the makings of a good one.
Favorite: Finland
Players to Watch: Juraj Slafkovský (Slovakia), Dalibor Dvorsky (Slovakia), Juuse Saros (Finland), Sebastian Aho (Finland)
Who Will Claim Bronze?
While falling short of the gold medal game certainly stings, both countries will surely be out to earn the bronze medal. Slovakia will be looking to earn just their second-ever Olympic medal in men’s hockey, having won bronze at the 2022 games. Finland looks to win their second straight medal after winning gold in 2022.
