Greg Wyshynski previews Team USA men’s hockey’s chances at gold ahead of the start of the 2026 Olympic Winter Games. (1:53)
The NHL will take center stage at the 2026 Winter Olympics for the first time since 2014, as star-studded rosters featuring Nathan MacKinnon, Jack Eichel and more head to Milan Cortina.
In the men’s ice hockey competition, Canada will head in as the favorite to win its first gold medal since 2014. Sidney Crosby, at age 38, will look to win his third gold medal for Team Canada as the only holdover from that 2014 team.
In 2018, the gold medal went to the Olympic Athletes from Russia, while Finland stood supreme in 2022, both years in which NHL players did not join the rosters. Russia will not participate in the 2026 tournament.
The United States team, with two sets of brothers (Quinn and Jack Hughes, Matthew and Brady Tkachuk) plus Connor Hellebuyck in net, will look to claim its first medal since 2010, when they won silver. They are currently +200, behind Canada but slightly ahead of Sweden, Finland and Czechia.
Leon Draisaitl will take his dominant goal-scoring touch (which has him ranked No. 6 in ESPN Fantasy Hockey) to the German national team. Host nation Italy is 400-1.
We take a look at the odds for each team as the men’s Olympic ice hockey tournament begins Wednesday. The gold medal game is scheduled for Feb. 22.
Odds by DraftKings Sportsbook, subject to change.
More: X factors for each team | Ranking every NHL player in the Olympics
USA and Canada, from DraftKings Sportsbook.
The United States won 5-0 over Canada on Thursday, the largest win for the Americans in the Olympic rivalry between the two squads. Canada will look to rebound with Wednesday’s matchup against Finland (Canada -4.5, O/U 5.5), while the Unites States has clinched the top spot in Group A, and the top spot overall heading into the knockout round. The United States will play host Italy in their next match.
By the end of Wednesday’s action, all quarterfinal matches will be set.
The quarterfinal round begins on Feb. 13 with the Gold Medal game on Feb. 19. Canada and the United States have combined to win every gold medal since women’s hockey became an Olympic sport in 1998.
United States , -350
Canada , +290
Sweden , 50-1
Czechia, 50-1
Finland , 80-1
Switzerland , 100-1
Germany , 250-1
Italy , 500-1
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