The preliminary round is over. It’s time to play for a medal in women’s hockey at the 2026 Milan Cortina Games.

Welcome to a Valentine’s Day edition of Olympic hockey predictions here at Last Word On Hockey, where we have been covering the men’s ice hockey tournament at the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics each day throughout the preliminary round and beyond.

Canucks' Kevin Lankinen and Finland lost 4-1 to Slovakia, while Elias Pettersson and Sweden won 5-2 against Italy in their first games of the 2026 Winter Olympics.

MILAN (AP) — As top-seeded Team USA practiced a day before its quarterfinal matchup against host Italy, the Canadians were on the nearby main rink reminding everyone it might not be time to count them out of the women’s hockey Olympic tournament just yet.

Slovakia opened the 2026 Winter Olympics with a decisive 4–1 victory over defending champion Finland, powered by two goals from Juraj Slafkovský and a 38-save performance from Samuel Hlavaj.

NHL players are back at the Olympics, and preliminary play opened with two contests in Milan. Here's how Day 1 went.

Lehtonen is not the only player on Team Finland with Olympic experience. Dallas Stars defenseman Miro Heiskanen was playing for HIFK in Liiga, Finland's top hockey league, and Seattle Kraken forward Eeli Tolvanen with Jokerit of the Kontinental Hockey League, when they were Lehtonen's teammates at the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics.

Slovakia’s men’s national hockey team has featured consistent rosters through the years. The team has featured players such as Miroslav Satan, Peter Bondra, Zigmund Palffy, Marian Gaborik, Zdeno Chara,

A pivotal Group A matchup is set for Sunday night in Milan, as Czechia prepares to take on Finland in women’s ice hockey action at the 2026 Winter Olympics.