The 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics wasted no time delivering drama on the ice. Day one of men’s hockey saw a major shakeup in Group A, as Slovakia stunned Finland with a 4-1 upset, while host nation Italy briefly rattled Sweden before the Swedes found their rhythm and pulled away.
Let’s start with the shocker: Slovakia over Finland. This was a game where the shot totals didn’t tell the full story.
Finland outshot Slovakia 40-25, but it was Slovakia who made their chances count. Juraj Slafkovsky, the towering forward who’s been growing into a true international force, netted two goals and led the way with a performance that felt like a statement.
Slovakia didn’t just survive Finland’s pressure-they thrived under it.
For Finland, this one stings. Coming off a frustrating showing at last year’s 4 Nations Face-Off, this was supposed to be a fresh start.
Instead, it felt like déjà vu. They had their looks, especially on the power play, where Artturi Lehkonen picked up a secondary assist on their lone goal.
But the Finnish attack couldn’t break through when it mattered most. Joel Kiviranta slotted in as the 13th forward, but Finland’s depth couldn’t shift the momentum.
On the other side of the bracket, Italy gave Sweden an early scare, opening the scoring and momentarily raising eyebrows across the arena. But that moment didn’t last long.
Gabe Landeskog wasted no time making his presence felt. On his very first shift, he delivered a heavy hit on the forecheck that set the tone, and not long after, he buried a one-timer on the power play to even things up.
From there, Sweden took control. They leaned on their top-end talent and depth to pull away for a 5-2 win.
Landeskog, wearing the captain’s ‘C’ for Sweden just like he does for the Avalanche, was a key piece on the man advantage, but he also took shifts on the fourth line alongside Alex Wennberg and Pontus Holmberg-an interesting wrinkle that speaks to Sweden’s depth and versatility. The Swedes didn’t panic after the early deficit, and by the third period, they were firmly in command.
So, day one is in the books, and we’ve already got a major upset and a few standout performances to chew on. For Finland, it’s back to the drawing board.
For Slovakia, it’s a massive confidence boost. And for Sweden, it’s a reminder that even when the road gets bumpy, they’ve got the tools-and the leadership-to steer things back on course.