2026 Winter Olympics Qualifications Complete
Here's who will take the ice in Italy.
The field of competition at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics is set. 10 teams will take the ice in a bid to take home the gold, although only nine are currently known.
Who's In
From North America, the legendary rivalry between Canada and the United States continues. Canada looks to defend gold, while the Americans will try to snatch it back.
From Europe, host nation Italy is set to make its first-ever Olympic appearance. They're currently ranked 19th in the world. They'll be joined by Finland, Czechia, Switzerland, Germany, and Sweden.
From Asia, Japan has earned their fourth-consecutive Olympic berth and fifth appearance overall.
Who's Out
Russia & Belarus
The IIHF announced on Feb. 4th that Russia and Belarus won't be reintegrated into their championships for the 2025-2026 season due to Russia's ongoing war of aggression in Ukraine.
While Belarus has never iced an Olympic squad, Russia has a fascinating and complicated history at the tournament. They haven't competed at an Olympics under their own flag since the 2014 games on home ice in Sochi and squeaked into the 2022 tournament as the Russian Olympic Committee just weeks before Russia launched their invasion into Ukraine.
At the time of publication, it's unclear if Russian athletes will be allowed to participate under the ROC name. If so, that would make them the 10th team in the competition.
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