The Winter Olympics are nearly here, with Milan and Cortino d’Ampezzo set to play host to the 2026 Games with events beginning on Feb. 5 and the Opening Ceremony on Feb. 6. Over 3,500 athletes from 93 different countries will compete for medals across 16 different disciplines, but one of the sports that will hold the attention of two icy North American powers—the United States and Canada—as well as the rest of the world is Olympic ice hockey.
Political tensions between the Americans and Canadians figure to make any contests involving the two gold medal favorites must-see TV. But the American and Canadian men and women will face stiff competition from Sweden, Finland and the Czech Republic, among others, in the quest for gold.
