Short answer
The United States beat Canada 2-1 in overtime in both gold medal games. Women’s final, February 19: Megan Keller scored in overtime after Hilary Knight tied it late. Men’s final, February 22: Jack Hughes scored at 1:41 of overtime. Bronze: Finland (men) and Switzerland (women).
Men’s tournament
NHL players returned for Milano Cortina 2026, their first Olympics since 2014. All games were played in Milan, at PalaItalia (the Santagiulia arena) and the Rho arena at Fiera Milano, from February 11 to 22. Russia and Belarus were banned, and France took the place left by Russia.
The United States beat Canada 2-1 in overtime in the final on February 22, its first men's gold since 1980 and on the 46th anniversary of the Miracle on Ice. Jack Hughes scored at 1:41 of overtime and Connor Hellebuyck made 41 saves. Finland beat Slovakia 6-1 for bronze. Connor McDavid was MVP and top scorer with 13 points.
All stars and awards: goaltender Connor Hellebuyck, defenseman Quinn Hughes and forward Connor McDavid were the tournament’s best players by position. Full standings: 2026 men’s tournament page.
Women’s tournament
Ten teams played in Milan from February 5 to 19, 2026. Russia was banned, and France took its place.
The United States beat Canada 2-1 in overtime in the final for its third gold: Hilary Knight tied the game late in the third period and Megan Keller scored the winner in overtime. Switzerland beat Sweden 2-1 in overtime for its second bronze. Keller led the scoring with 9 points and Caroline Harvey was named MVP.
Best players by position: goaltender Andrea Brändli, defenseman Caroline Harvey and forward Marie-Philip Poulin. Full standings: 2026 women’s tournament page.
Teams and how they qualified
| Route | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|
| Host | Italy | Italy |
| IIHF world ranking | Canada, Finland, United States, Germany, Sweden, Switzerland, Czechia | Canada, United States, Finland, Czechia, Switzerland |
| Final qualification tournaments | Slovakia (Bratislava), Latvia (Riga), Denmark (Aalborg) | Japan (Tomakomai), Sweden (Gävle), Germany (Bremerhaven) |
| Replacement for banned Russia | France | France |
How the system works in general: Olympic hockey qualification.
Venues and rink
All games were in Milan: PalaItalia, the Santagiulia arena (16,000 capacity, 11,800 public seats), and a temporary arena inside the Fiera Milano exhibition center in Rho (6,500). Both sheets measured 60 by 26 meters. That is about 1 meter shorter than an NHL rink (200 by 85 feet) and the same as Beijing 2022; the IIHF called the difference insignificant. Rule differences: Olympic vs NHL rules.
Formats
- Men: three groups of four. Group winners and the best second place team went straight to the quarterfinals; the other eight played qualification playoffs.
- Women: two groups of five. All of Group A and the top three of Group B reached the quarterfinals.
- Points: 3 for a regulation win, 2 for an overtime or shootout win, 1 for an overtime or shootout loss.
Questions people ask
Who won the 2026 Olympic men’s hockey gold?
The United States, 2-1 over Canada in overtime on February 22, 2026, its first men’s gold since 1980. Finland beat Slovakia 6-1 for bronze.
Who won the 2026 Olympic women’s hockey gold?
The United States, 2-1 over Canada in overtime on February 19, 2026. Switzerland beat Sweden 2-1 in overtime for bronze.
Did NHL players play at the 2026 Olympics?
Yes. It was the first Olympics with NHL players since 2014, under the agreement announced in February 2024.
How big was the 2026 Olympic rink?
60 by 26 meters (about 196.85 by 85.3 feet), per the IIHF as reported by the AP: about 1 meter shorter than an NHL rink and within IIHF rules.
Sources
Last reviewed October 29, 2026. Spotted an error? Results are checked against the linked sources; tell us through the corrections note on the about page.