Tre Kronor will meet Latvia in the eighth-finals of the men's hockey tournament at the 2026 Winter Olympics after Denmark's late victory over Latvia secured the matchup. Experts emphasize the need for Sweden to respect Latvia's defensive strength and NHL-caliber goaltending despite being favorites to advance. A win would pit Sweden against the United States in the quarterfinals.
The preliminary round of the men's hockey tournament at the 2026 Milano Cortina Olympics concluded with Sweden, known as Tre Kronor, drawn against Latvia in the play-in stage, officially the eighth-finals. This pairing emerged after a dramatic finish in Group C, where Denmark defeated Latvia 4-2 on Sunday. With the score at 3-2 in the final minutes, Latvia pulled goaltender Arturs Silovs in search of a tie, but Denmark's Oliver Lauridsen scored into the empty net to clinch the win and swap positions with Latvia in the standings.
Sweden finished as the top third-place team with six points but dropped into the play-in due to the Olympic format prioritizing overall seeding over points. As the seventh seed, they will face the tenth-seeded Latvia. The game is scheduled for Thursday at a venue in Milano Cortina, though exact timing awaits confirmation.
Experts Jonas Andersson and Henrik Lundqvist, commenting for SVT, underscored Sweden's superiority but warned of Latvia's challenges. 'This is a match Sweden should win,' Andersson stated, highlighting the need to replicate the aggressive third period against Slovakia. Lundqvist described Latvia's defense as 'a meat wall' (en köttmur), praising their structure and counterattacks. He noted their NHL goaltenders, Elvis Merzlikins and Arturs Silovs, as key assets, adding, 'Many smaller nations have good structure, good goaltenders, they will have big support from the stands.'
Lundqvist stressed mental preparation: 'I hope Tre Kronor can take the lead; that makes such a big difference against a team like this.' Andersson urged Sweden to play with speed and technique to dominate. The matchup evokes memories of Sweden's 2023 World Championship quarterfinal exit to Latvia under Sam Hall, though conditions differ now.
Advancing would place Sweden against the United States in the quarterfinals, as Canada topped Group A and the U.S. secured second overall seeding with a 5-1 win over Germany.
