While Norway rules the 2026 medal table, its hockey teams are at home — a stark difference from its Nordic neighbors Sweden and Finland.

Meanwhile, USA scratches LaCombe as the Olympic hockey tournament intensifies with preliminary round play winding down.

MILAN (AP) — Finland defender Jenni Hiirikoski’s fifth and potentially final Olympic Games are over due to an upper-body injury that will require surgery, the Finnish Ice Hockey Association announced on Saturday.

Finnish skier and Olympic debutant Elias Lajunen was knocked unconscious and got stretchered off the snow following a crash.

Slovakia opened the 2026 Winter Olympics with a decisive 4–1 victory over defending champion Finland, powered by two goals from Juraj Slafkovský and a 38-save performance from Samuel Hlavaj.

Rasmus Dahlin scored a power-play goal and Gustavsson made 20 saves for Sweden (1-0-1-0), which lost a preliminary round game involving NHL players for the first time in eight outings, dating to a 3-0 loss to Slovakia in Turin 20 years ago. Sweden defeated Finland in the gold-medal game a week later.

In the first game of the men’s tournament, Finland dominated the play against Slovakia. However, the Finns struggled to put the puck in the back of the net. Along with Slovakia’s Juraj Slakfkovsky having a great performance, Finland ended up losing 4-1.

Finland’s national women’s hockey team canceled practice due to a stomach illness affecting at least four players, a team spokesman confirmed to The Associated Press.

Two European rivals meet with a spot in the semifinals on the line, as Finland and Switzerland face off in the final women’s hockey quarterfinal at the 2026 Winter Olympics.

The Finland women's hockey team had its opening game of the Winter Olympics against Canada on Thursday postponed due to a stomach virus depleting the roster. The game was rescheduled for Feb. 12. https://t.co/rp2a3dnYH3 The virus began affecting the Finland squad on Tuesday night.

We are just over a week away from the premier Winter Olympic event: the men’s hockey gold medal game. With the single-elimination tournament starting on Tuesday, let’s take a look at the three favorites (according to Polymarket) to take home gold in Milan.