{"id":463283,"date":"2026-02-19T11:28:15","date_gmt":"2026-02-19T11:28:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/463283\/"},"modified":"2026-02-19T11:28:15","modified_gmt":"2026-02-19T11:28:15","slug":"olympic-hockey-history-was-made-on-wednesday","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/463283\/","title":{"rendered":"Olympic hockey history was made on Wednesday"},"content":{"rendered":"

In one of the most electrifying days of ice hockey in recent Olympic history, three of the four men\u2019s hockey quarterfinal games at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan were decided in overtime, sending shockwaves across the hockey world and delivering edge-of-your-seat drama unparalleled at this stage of the Games.<\/p>\n

What unfolded at the Milano Santagiulia and Milano Rho arenas on February 18, 2026, was more than just a series of elimination games \u2014 it was a testament to resilience, national pride, and the razor-thin margins that define elite international competition.<\/p>\n

MORE: Sidney Crosby exits Olympic hockey game with scary injury<\/a><\/p>\n

A Rare Olympic Phenomenon<\/p>\n

Though overtime games are not uncommon in hockey tournaments, having three quarterfinal matchups all require extra time at the Olympics is extraordinary \u2014 especially at a stage when teams are typically more evenly matched and the stakes sky-high. Olympic quarterfinals employ a 10-minute 3-on-3 sudden-death overtime format, designed to produce decisive, high-tempo hockey before resorting to shootouts if necessary.<\/p>\n

This format, with open ice and fewer players, often leads to wild finishes and dramatic momentum swings \u2014 and in Milan, it delivered precisely that.<\/p>\n

Canada Survives Czechia in OT<\/p>\n

\"\"Feb 18, 2026; Milan, Italy; Mitch Marner of Canada celebrates with Thomas Harley after scoring their fourth and game-winning goal against Czechia in a men\u2019s ice hockey quarterfinal during the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games at Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

Canada, one of the most decorated nations in Olympic hockey history, survived a furious challenge from Czechia, prevailing 4\u20133 in overtime. The game was a roller coaster: Canada trailed late in the third period before storming back to force extra time. Veteran forward Mitch Marner delivered the decisive strike early in OT, sending the Canadians into the semifinals and preserving their bid for another medal.<\/p>\n

Canada\u2019s victory was not just dramatic \u2014 it underscored the depth and never-quit character of a squad carrying rich Olympic tradition and expectation.<\/p>\n

Finland\u2019s Comeback OT Win Over Switzerland<\/p>\n

\"\"Feb 18, 2026; Milan, Italy; Artturi Lehkonen of Finland celebrates scoring their third goal in overtime to win the match against Switzerland in a men\u2019s ice hockey quarterfinal during the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games at Milano Rho Ice Hockey Arena. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

In perhaps the most emotional quarterfinal, reigning Olympic champions Finland mounted a stunning comeback against Switzerland.<\/p>\n

After falling behind 2\u20130, Finland battled back to tie the game late and then needed overtime to finally break through. Artturi Lehkonen emerged as the hero, burying the winner in extra time to send Finland into the final four and ignite celebrations among Finnish fans.<\/p>\n

This victory showcased the champions\u2019 grit \u2014 refusing to fold and instead seizing momentum when it mattered most.<\/p>\n

USA Edges Sweden on Quinn Hughes OT Strike<\/p>\n

\"\"[US, Mexico & Canada customers only] Feb 18, 2026; Milan, Italy; Quinn Hughes (43) of the United States celebrates with Matt Boldy (12) of the United States after scoring the winning goal in overtime against Sweden in a men\u2019s ice hockey quarterfinal during the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games at Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena. Mandatory Credit: Marton Monus\/Reuters via Imagn Images<\/p>\n

Perhaps the most iconic moment of the night came in the United States game against Sweden. Tied after regulation, the contest saw both teams trade chances in overtime until Quinn Hughes unleashed a rocket that beat Swedish goaltender Jacob Markstr\u00f6m, giving the USA a 2\u20131 extra-time win and a spot in the semifinals.<\/p>\n

The goal \u2014 and the resulting jubilation \u2014 was emblematic of America\u2019s resilience and hunger for its first Olympic men\u2019s hockey gold since the Miracle on Ice in 1980.<\/p>\n

\u2014 Enjoy free coverage of the top news & trending stories on The Big Lead <\/a>\u2014<\/p>\n

OLYMPICS: USA figure skater Isabeau Levito gushes over Olympic Village<\/a><\/p>\n

NFL: Tyreek Hill makes hilarious first move after Dolphins release<\/a><\/p>\n

CBB: 2026 college basketball rankings, updated AP Top 25 after Week 15<\/a><\/p>\n

MLB: Tigers infielder from Taiwan apologizes to Koreans after trash talk goes viral<\/a><\/p>\n

SPORTS MEDIA: College Hall of Famer, father of Chicago Bulls coach, dies<\/a><\/p>\n

VIRAL: Chloe Kim \u2018obsessed\u2019 with $100k gift from NFL star Myles Garrett after Olympics<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"In one of the most electrifying days of ice hockey in recent Olympic history, three of the four…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":463284,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[377],"tags":[55961,5,4834,2602,2787],"class_list":{"0":"post-463283","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-hockey","8":"tag-2026-winter-olympcis","9":"tag-hockey","10":"tag-mens-hockey","11":"tag-olympics","12":"tag-winter-olympics"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nhl\/116097064866559082","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/463283","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=463283"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/463283\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/463284"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=463283"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=463283"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=463283"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}