Finland won its fifth medal in the six Olympics in which NHL players participated (silver in 2006; bronze in 1998, 2010, 2014, 2026), the most of any country. Canada (gold in 2002, 2010, 2014) will be second with four after facing the United States in the gold medal game on Sunday (8:10 a.m. ET; Peacock, NBC, ICI Tele, CBC Gem, CBC, SN (JIP), TSN (JIP), RDS).
Finland won its first gold medal in men’s ice hockey at the 2022 Beijing Olympics, which did not include NHL players. These are the first Olympic Games with NHL players since the 2014 Sochi Games.
“It’s a big deal to win Olympic bronze, especially in a tournament like this where every nation has its best players,” Armia said. “So, for sure, they’re a special team.”
After winning its first Olympic medal in men’s ice hockey with a bronze in Beijing, Slovakia matched its best Olympic finish with NHL players. She also finished fourth at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, where she lost to Finland in the bronze medal match.
“I think being fourth and last is the same thing,” said the striker Juraj Slavkovsky said. “You don’t get a medal, so it (stinks).”
