Separation Sunday Brings Clarity - and Pressure - to Olympic Men’s Hockey as Panthers Players Battle On
As the preliminary round of the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics men’s hockey tournament wraps up, we’ve hit what hockey folks like to call “Separation Sunday.” It’s the day the contenders start to pull away, the pretenders fall back, and the playoff picture begins to take shape. And for the Florida Panthers - who boast more Olympians than any other NHL team - it’s been a busy, high-stakes weekend.
Let’s break it down.
Panthers All Over the Ice - and the Standings
Finland and Sweden, each featuring a trio of Panthers, finished the round-robin stage with identical 2-1 records in Group B. But in tournaments like this, it’s not just about wins - it’s about goal differential, and Slovakia used that tiebreaker to clinch the top seed in the group. That leaves Finland hoping for help to avoid a qualification playoff, while Sweden, led by defenseman Gus Forsling, is already locked into a must-win game on Tuesday.
Finland’s Olympic roster includes Eetu Luostarinen, Anton Lundell, and Niko Mikkola - all three having contributed on the scoresheet. Luostarinen and Mikkola have each tallied three assists in three games, while Lundell has chipped in a goal. Their performance has kept Finland in the mix, but the path forward isn’t totally in their control anymore.
Sweden’s Forsling has been active as well, notching a goal and an assist through three games. But Sweden’s 1-1-1 record means they’ll need to earn their way into the quarterfinals the hard way.
Team USA Eyes Group C Crown
Matthew Tkachuk and Team USA are sitting pretty at 2-0, but they’re not out of the woods just yet. After a bit of a scare against Denmark on Saturday - a game they eventually won 6-3 - the Americans face Germany today with the Group C title and a direct ticket to the quarterfinals on the line.
A win gives the U.S. a clean 9 points and the group crown. Even just one point - whether through a regulation tie or an overtime loss - would be enough to secure advancement. But don’t expect Germany to roll over.
Germany’s roster is loaded with NHL talent, including superstar forward Leon Draisaitl, former Panthers center Nico Sturm, and Seattle Kraken goalie Philipp Grubauer. Behind the bench, Florida assistant coach Jamie Kompon is helping guide the German squad alongside head coach Harold Kreis.
“They definitely have the most … guys you definitely have to look out for,” Tkachuk said. “Our goal here is to come in and win the group, really just take it one game at a time.
Win this one tomorrow is the goal - whether it’s 2-1, 1-0, whatever it takes. But I think we can get comfortable in those games and we have been.”
Canada Already Through - But Still Has Work to Do
Canada, led by a mix of veterans and rising stars, is already through to the next round. Panthers forwards Sam Reinhart and Sam Bennett have suited up in both games so far, while Brad Marchand has added an assist in limited action. The Canadians have been dominant through their first two games, including a 5-0 shutout over Czechia and a 5-1 win over Switzerland.
They’ll finish the preliminary round against France today, with an eye toward locking up the best possible seeding heading into the knockout stage.
Latvia Keeps It Interesting
Latvia pulled off one of the bigger surprises of the tournament so far, knocking off Germany 4-3 on Saturday. That win keeps them alive heading into today’s matchup with Denmark. With Panthers defenseman Uvis Balinskis and forward Sandis Vilmanis in the lineup, Latvia can punch its ticket to the next round with a win.
Balinskis has logged an assist through two games, while Vilmanis is still looking for his first point - but both have played key roles in keeping Latvia competitive in a tough Group C.
What’s Next: The Road to Gold Gets Real
With the preliminary round wrapping up today, the tournament shifts into elimination mode starting Tuesday with the qualification playoffs. Here’s how the schedule looks from here:
- Tuesday, Feb. 17: Qualification playoffs (three games)
- Wednesday, Feb. 18: Quarterfinals (four games)
- Friday, Feb. 20: Semifinals
- Saturday, Feb. 21: Bronze medal game
- Sunday, Feb. 22: Gold medal game
For the Panthers’ Olympic contingent, the dream of gold is still very much alive - but the path is narrowing. Whether it’s Tkachuk trying to lead Team USA to the top of Group C, Forsling and Sweden battling through the qualification round, or Finland hoping for a little help to avoid that same fate, there’s no shortage of drama.
As the stakes get higher, so does the intensity - and with 10 Panthers still in the mix, fans back in Florida have plenty of reasons to keep a close eye on Milan-Cortina.
Let the knockout rounds begin.