Several NHL stars from teams like the Boston Bruins and Carolina Hurricanes have reached the semifinals of the men's hockey tournament at the 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Milano Cortina. Team USA, Finland, Canada and Slovakia will compete Friday for spots in the gold-medal game. The outcomes will determine medal contenders after intense quarterfinal matches.
The men's hockey tournament at the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026 entered its semifinal stage following quarterfinal victories on Wednesday. Team USA defeated Sweden 2-1 in overtime, with defenseman Quinn Hughes scoring the game-winning goal. Boston Bruins players Charlie McAvoy and Jeremy Swayman contributed for the United States, as McAvoy logged 19:22 of ice time alongside Hughes. McAvoy praised Hughes' individual skill, saying, "He’s the kind of guy who can go out there; you want the puck in his hands."
Team Finland advanced with a 3-2 overtime win over Switzerland, where Bruins defenseman Henri Jokiharju and goalie Joonas Korpisalo played key roles. Carolina Hurricanes forward Sebastian Aho scored his third goal of the tournament to spark a comeback from a two-goal deficit. Finland will face Canada in the first semifinal at 10:40 a.m. ET Friday.
Canada overcame Czechia 4-3 in overtime after trailing twice, with Hurricanes forward Seth Jarvis assisting on a tying goal late in the third period. Mitch Marner scored the winner for Canada. In the other semifinal at 3:10 p.m. ET, USA meets Slovakia, which beat Germany 6-2. Hurricanes defenseman Jaccob Slavin led USA's defense with 18:10 of ice time against Sweden.
The winners advance to Sunday's gold-medal game at 8:10 a.m. ET, while losers play for bronze Saturday at 2:40 p.m. ET. This marks the first Olympics with NHL participation since 2014, featuring eight Bruins organization members initially. Other Bruins like David Pastrnak and the Lindholm brothers were eliminated earlier. Winnipeg Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck leads the tournament with a .957 save percentage for USA. As NHL teams resume practices post-break, focus shifts to these international matchups.