Group play at the 2026 Winter Olympics has now concluded, and the four byes have been secured into the Quarterfinals, which begin on Wednesday in Milan. But first, the eight teams that didn’t earn a top-four spot in the preliminary rounds will battle in a Qualification Playoff on Tuesday.
As expected, the United States and Canada cruised through group play to win their respective groups, and Slovakia surprisingly claimed Group B. Teuvo Teravainen and Finland opened the tournament with an upset loss but still punched their ticket into the Quarterfinals. More in the links for the latest from the Olympics.
Also in Blackhawks news, Mason West potted his second goal of the weekend, and Jake Furlong netted his first tally as a member of the Rockford IceHogs.
Around the league, an update on Kevin Fiala’s injury, an epic hot mic from Matthew Tkachuk, and the latest trade rumors surrounding Vincent Trocheck.
All that & more in the Daily!
Chicago Blackhawks Recap, News & Tidbits
Chicago Hockey Now: With an 11-0 win over Italy in their final group-play game, Finland earned its sixth point of the tournament and racked up a high enough goal differential to advance into the Quarterfinals. Teuvo Teravainen also recorded his first point of the Olympics in the blowout victory. It’s been an impressive turnaround for the Finns after losing their opening game to Slovakia.
More CHN: ICYMI, the Rockford IceHogs had three hometown representatives in the AHL All-Star Classic last week, which was held at the BMO Center in Rockford, Illinois. Nick Lardis scored a highlight-reel shootout goal, and Kevin Korchinski and captain Brett Seney helped the Central Division reach the Championship in the All-Star Challenge on Sunday.
Speaking of the IceHogs, they had an opportunity to win a third consecutive game out of the AHL All-Star break on Sunday and move into a tie for fifth in the Central Division standings. Instead, they lost 4-1 to the Milwaukee Admirals, who currently own that fifth and final playoff spot in the division. Jake Furlong, acquired from the San Jose Sharks in the Nolan Allan trade, scored the lone tally for Rockford in the loss. It was Furlong’s first goal with the IceHogs.
In USHL news, Mason West scored his second goal of the weekend in the Fargo Force’s 4-2 win over the Sioux Falls Stampede on Sunday. West now has six goals and eight assists for 14 points in 21 games this season.
NHL Trade Talk, News, & National Hockey Now
The Athletic: Leon Draisaitl is surely accustomed to Matthew Tkachuk and his on-ice antics at this point. The two forwards have faced off in the Stanley Cup Final each of the last two years and met once again when the United States took on Germany in Milan on Sunday. In the midst of their Olympic matchup, Tkachuk hit Draisaitl with an epic chirp that got caught by a hot mic. Always the bridesmaid, eh Leon?
Boston Hockey Now: Could the Boston Bruins be in on the Vincent Trocheck sweepstakes ahead of the NHL trade deadline? The 32-year-old forward has been generating plenty of interest since the Rangers announced a “retool”, and a couple of beat writers believe Boston would be a strong fit.
Pittsburgh Hockey Now: Team Canada completed the preliminary round sweep with a 10-2 beatdown over France on Sunday. The Canadians have secured passage into the Quarterfinals in Milan after winning Group A.
TSN: Canada’s captain, Sidney Crosby, became the country’s all-time leader in points at the Olympics after scoring a goal and adding two assists in the victory against France. Crosby now has 16 points in his Olympic career, which surpasses Jarome Iginla for most in Canadian history.
ESPN: The Los Angeles Kings confirmed on Sunday that forward Kevin Fiala will miss the remainder of the regular season after undergoing successful surgery. Fiala suffered multiple fractures in his left leg late in Switzerland’s 5-1 loss to Canada at the Olympics over the weekend. A true nightmare situation for the Kings.
Carolina Hockey Now: If you’re a long-time hockey fan, you’ve surely heard of the ‘Traveling Jagrs’ from back in the day. However, there has been another notable group to spring up over the past year, also sporting matching jerseys and deep friendships. With some help from Air Canada, Seth Jarvis now has his own posse rooting him on in Milan.
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