The prelims are in the books, and now it’s win-or-go-home time at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics. The men’s hockey tournament is heading into the elimination rounds, and a few teams - including Canada and Slovakia - are looking especially dangerous after strong showings in group play.
A big reason for that? Some key names familiar to St.
Louis Blues fans.
Let’s start with Team Canada, who rolled through Group A with a perfect 3-0-0-0 record and locked up the top overall seed heading into the knockout stage. Goaltender Jordan Binnington has been nothing short of rock solid between the pipes.
He started two of Canada’s three games, including a shutout in the opener against Czechia, and has turned aside 38 of the 40 shots he’s faced. That’s good for a sparkling 1.00 goals-against average and a .950 save percentage.
Simply put, Binnington has looked locked in.
On the blue line, Colton Parayko has been a steadying force. He’s logged minutes in all three games on Canada’s second defensive pairing, doing the kind of detail work that doesn’t always show up on the scoresheet but makes a big difference in tournament play - winning puck battles, eating up minutes, and keeping things calm in the defensive zone.
Over in Group B, Slovakia made waves by finishing ahead of both Finland and Sweden - a tough group by any measure. And one of the breakout stars has been 20-year-old forward Dalibor Dvorsky.
The rookie has already racked up two goals and four points through three games, including a bit of history in Slovakia’s opening win. He’s playing with confidence and poise well beyond his years, and he’s helping drive a Slovak squad that’s starting to look like a real threat.
With the group stage wrapped, the top four seeds - Canada, Slovakia, the United States (3-0-0-0), and Finland (2-0-1-0) - have earned a direct ticket to the Quarterfinals, which are set for February 18.
Before we get there, though, eight teams will battle it out in the Qualification Playoff round on February 17. Among those matchups: Pius Suter and Team Switzerland (1-1-1-0) will take on Team Italy (0-0-3-0) in an early morning tilt, while Philip Broberg and Team Sweden (2-0-1-0) will face off against Team Latvia (1-0-2-0) later in the day.
The stage is set, and the intensity is about to ratchet up. With medal dreams on the line, expect the tempo - and the stakes - to rise fast.