The Montreal Canadiens will be a team to watch once the NHL Olympic roster freeze passes. With the Canadiens being among the top teams in the Eastern Conference, there is an expectation that they will look to add to their roster ahead of the 2026 NHL trade deadline.

Now, the Canadiens are being connected to one of the NHL's top trade candidates.

In a recent article for The Athletic, Chris Johnston predicted that the Canadiens will be the team that acquires New York Rangers star center Vincent Trocheck. 

"The Canadiens’ biggest hole all season has been down the middle, and it’s going to be a battle at the deadline for the limited options who can fill the 2C role on a contender. Even at 32, Trocheck certainly fits that description, and the fact he comes with some term at a reasonable cap hit will help the Habs bridge the gap as their youth movement progresses," Johnston wrote. 

Seeing the Canadiens being viewed as a potential landing spot for Trocheck is not difficult to understand. There is no question that he would give the Canadiens' top six a nice boost if they acquired him. His stats this season show this, as he has recorded 12 goals, 24 assists, and 36 points in 43 games. 

Yet, with Trocheck being a legitimate top-six center who has a $5.625 million cap hit until the end of the 2028-29 season, it is clear that the Rangers would want a significant return for him in a potential move. Yet, with the Canadiens needing another impactful center, he could be worth the price. 

It will be interesting to see if the Canadiens end up being the team that lands Trocheck ahead of the deadline. There is no question that the skilled center is going to have several suitors. 

When the Pittsburgh Penguins return from the 2026 Olympic break, they will have five games before the 2025-26 NHL Trade Deadline. Given where they are in the standings, and the way they have played for the better part of the past two months, the Penguins seem to have positioned themselves as potential buyers, or at the very least, some sort of hybrid buy-sell team like they were a year ago.

While the idea of somebody like Jason Robertson or Robert Thomas is fun to think about and dream on, those are probably more offseason-type moves than in-season deadline deals. Especially as it relates to Robertson given the Dallas Stars current status as a legitimate Stanley Cup contender.

The Penguins also already have a lot of depth at forward this season and probably have more good players than they can play at the moment. Rutger McGroarty, Avery Hayes and even Ville Koivunen are worthy of NHL playing time right now, but there just simply is not room for them.

The defense is where the Penguins might be in a position to make a small addition. Not only due to the injury to Kris Letang, as well as the fact Erik Karlsson is playing in the Olympics and is not getting any tine to rest, but just because they could use a little more quality depth at the position in both the short-term and the long-term.

Based on everything Kyle Dubas has said this season, and based on everything he has done over the past year-and-a-half, I would not anticipate them being in the market for older players that are obviously rentals.

But what about a younger player on an expiring contract that could potentially be re-signed?

The ideal situation would be finding a young defenseman with team-control remaining beyond this season, but that sort of thing is probably easier said than done.

So let’s take a look at a couple of options that could be available and might fit what the Penguins are looking for.

Simon Benoit, Toronto Maple Leafs

Benoit is intriguing because he is still only 27 years old and is signed through the end of next season at an extremely manageable salary cap number of just $1.35 million per season. He is not going to do a lot to generate offense, but he has been a very solid defensive player this season and would bring some of the size and physical play that Dubas has tried to inject into the lineup this year.

He’s a bottom-pairing player, but he is cheap, you get two potential playoff runs with him and you know you’re going to get an honest effort and a player that’s not afraid to get in front of a shot.

He has been given exceptionally one-sided defensive assignments (only 26 percent offensive zone starts) with the Maple Leafs allowing just 2.58 expected goals per 60 minutes of 5-on-5 play and only 2.32 actual goals per 60 minutes when he is on the ice. Both numbers are tops among Maple Leafs defensemen.

I could see there being interest, especially after the Penguins made a similar trade with Toronto at last year’s deadline to get Connor Dewar and Conor Timmins. That one worked out well.

Zach Whitecloud, Calgary Flames

Whitecloud has been a solid, if unspectacular player for a few years now in Vegas, and recently found himself as part of the Rasmus Andersson trade that sent him to Calgary. Given the state of the Flames season and their ongoing rebuild, there is no doubt he could potentially be on the trade block again over the next few weeks. He is 29, signed for more full seasons after this at $2.75 million per season, and could be a potential depth upgrade both this season and beyond.

Again, you are not going to get much offense out of him, but he is a solid enough defensive player that can help keep the puck out of your net. The contract is going to increase the return in terms of assets, so it might come down to a matter of how much you are willing to pay this year and how much you like Whitecloud.

Mario Ferraro, San Jose Sharks

The problem with Ferraro as a potential option is that he is an unrestricted free agent after this season and would likely be a rental. But he fits into the age range the Penguins might be interested in (27) and could be a potential extension candidate.

Ferraro has been stuck on a bad San Jose team for years and has typically outperformed his teammates when it comes to suppressing chances and goals. He probably has more offensive upside than a player like Benoit, but might cost more in terms of assets and be at risk of just simply being a few month rental. That might not be their preferred path.

Logan Stanley, Winnipeg Jets

Stanley is a massive physical presence at 6-foot-7 and over 230 pounds, but has never really fully established himself as a quality or consistent NHL Player until this season.

It has been a perfectly timed breakout as well, given the fact he is in a contract year and due for a raise after this season as a pending unrestricted free agent. I don’t know that I am willing to risk paying what he is going to get on the open market this summer, and I suspect he might come with a fairly high asking price from Winnipeg, but he is a potential defense option that should be available.

Braden Schneider, New York Rangers

I am going to include Schneider because he kind of fits the mold of what the Penguins might be looking for in a player — and the type of player they have looked to acquire at other positions — and will almost certainly be available.

I am just not sure I actually want him.

Or how much I would want him.

Or what I would even be willing to give up for him.

He is still only 24 years old, but is a restricted free agent after this season and would need some sort of a commitment contractually.

Maybe if you acquire him you give him a look the rest of the season, and if you don’t like what you see you just do not qualifying him an offer and let him go.

He has size and talent, but none of it has been put together at the NHL level and he seems to have taken a step backwards this season. Maybe a fresh start helps? He would not be high on my priority list.

The Chicago Blackhawks are currently sixth in the Central Division standings and 10 points behind the Anaheim Ducks for the final wild card spot in the Western Conference. Due to this, there is an expectation that they will be sellers at the deadline. 

Because of this, Matt Grzelcyk is one Blackhawks' pending unrestricted free agent (UFA) who has created chatter as a potential trade candidate. Let's look at three teams that could make sense as landing spots for Grzelcyk if Chicago ends up making him available. 

Pittsburgh Penguins 

Could a reunion between Grzelcyk and the Penguins be in the cards? The Penguins have been one of the NHL's biggest surprises this season and could look to add to their roster because of it. The left side of their defense could use a boost, and Grzelcyk could help them on that front. He also thrived in Pittsburgh last season, setting career highs with 39 assists and 40 points.

Buffalo Sabres 

The Sabres should be looking to add to their blueline depth ahead of the deadline. If they acquired Grzelcyk, he would give them another solid option to work with on their bottom pairing. At a minimum, he could be a useful seventh defenseman for the Sabres to have around.

Colorado Avalanche 

The Avalanche could be another team to watch when it comes to Grzelcyk. They were linked to him before he signed with the Blackhawks, and they could use another defenseman with a lot of experience. The Avalanche have also struggled on the power play this season, so Grzelcyk could give them another option to help shake things up. 

Once the NHL Olympic roster freeze is over, the Buffalo Sabres will be a team to watch. With the Sabres looking to end their 14-year playoff drought, it would make a lot of sense for them to add to their roster ahead of the deadline.

One of the Sabres' most important needs to address is their blueline. It is clear that they should be looking to address their right side specifically. When looking at likely sellers around the NHL who could help the Sabres with this, the Chicago Blackhawks stand out big time. 

The Blackhawks are currently among the bottom teams in the Western Conference and are expected to move out some of their players ahead of the deadline. Connor Murphy is one of their most notable trade candidates, and he would be a great fit on a Sabres club looking to get back into the playoffs. 

If the Sabres landed Murphy, he could slot very nicely on their bottom pairing and penalty kill. This is because he is a solid stay-at-home defenseman.

With Murphy being one of the top right-shot defenseman trade candidates right now, there is no question that he should generate a lot of interest once the trade freeze lifts. Yet, with the Sabres needing another right-shot defenseman, they would be wise to make a real push for him. 

With contenders always on the hunt for big, right-shot defenseman, a trade for Murphy would likely need to start with a second-round pick. 

In 57 games so far this season with the Blackhawks, Murphy has recorded four goals, eight assists, 12 points, 55 hits, and 84 blocks. While he is not an offensive defenseman, his dependable defensive play would make him a valuable addition to the Sabres' roster if they successfully landed him. 

In 2022, Montreal Canadiens’ soon-to-be first-overall draft pick Juraj Slafkovsky dominated the Olympic Games as a 17-year-old and caught the eye of the Habs’ brass thanks to his MVP performance. Four years later, Slafkovsky returned to the Olympics with Slovakia, carrying the hopes of a nation. Before the first game, the youngster said he knew it would be a different tournament with NHL players participating, but as the level of competition rose, so did the 21-year-old.

In their first game of the tournament, the Slovaks were taking on the heavily favoured Finns, who had a roster made up almost exclusively of NHL players, with a single defenseman, Mikko Lehtonen, plying his trade outside of the NHL with the Zurich Lions of the Swiss National League. Meanwhile, the Slovaks had only seven NHLers on their roster, but if they were intimidated, it didn’t show, as they skated away with the three points. Their 4-1 win was the product of two brilliant performances: that of Slafkovsky, who had two goals and an assist in the game, and that of goaltender Samuel Hlavaj.

Canadiens: Slafkovsky Motivated To Make A Difference
Canadiens: Fowler To Miss All-Star Classic
Canadiens: One Of Their Worst Trades

According to the pregame coverage, the goaltending was meant to be Slovakia’s weakness, but Hlavaj clearly didn’t get the memo. Finland came out strong, forcing Hlavaj to weather the storm, which he did brilliantly. When the Finns made a mistake trying to exit their own zone, Slafkovsky pounced on the puck and beat Juuse Saros with a brilliant individual effort. After 20 minutes, the Slovaks had a 1-0 lead, and Hlavaj already had 18 saves to his name in a display reminiscent of Latvia’s Kristers Gudlevskis’ performance back in 2014 when he stopped 55 of the 57 shots he faced against Canada in a 2-1 defeat.

HOCKEY H - Juraj Slafkovsky débloque son compteur! 🇸🇰🔥

Le jeune prodige des Canadiens de Montréal fait vibrer les filets olympiques pour lancer le tournoi. C'est 1-0 pour la Slovaquie face à la Finlande. 🏒#MilanoCortina2026#rcsports#hockey#jeuxolympiquespic.twitter.com/Qu8PNYHZMH

— Radio-Canada Sports (@RC_Sports) February 11, 2026

Finland came out strong in the 2nd frame. It tied the score when Eeli Tolvanen completed a great passing play from former Habs Artturi Lehkonen and Joel Armia just as Slovakia’s penalty was expiring. The Finns piled on another 15 shots in that frame but were unable to take the lead as the Slovaks grew more confident with each save Hlavaj made.

Seven minutes into the final frame, Dalibor Dvorsky won a big faceoff in the offensive zone and went straight to the net, where he was able to tap in a rebound to give Slovakia a lead it would never surrender. Just over three minutes later, with Slovakia on the power play, the Finns gave Slafkovsky plenty of time and space, and he went bar down on Saros to make it 3-1 Slovakia.

SLAFKOVSKY AGAIN!!!

This guy loves international games!🔥 pic.twitter.com/ucSPDxDxUs

— Spittin' Chiclets (@spittinchiclets) February 11, 2026

The winger came oh so close to getting his hat trick when the Finns had pulled their goalie, but Sebastian Aho managed to make him lose his stick, making it impossible for him to score. Slafkovsky didn’t give up, though; he created just enough obstruction to make sure his teammates recovered the puck and scored, which Adam Ruzicka did, with Tomas Tatar and the Canadiens’ forward getting an assist.

Juraj Slafkovsky 🇸🇰 is a multi-sport Olympian, he’s out there playing hockey AND soccer

https://t.co/rwVP9inouY

— /r/Habs (@HabsOnReddit) February 11, 2026

The Slafkovsky we saw on the ice on Wednesday showed just how much he has grown as a player since 2022. He’s much more confident and comfortable with the puck; he’s able to skate with it and slow down the play when needed. If you give him an opportunity, he won’t hesitate to take it and hit you where it hurts. He has poise, he has control, he has size; the world now sees just what the Canadiens saw when they drafted him in 2022.

In just eight Olympic matches, Slafkovsky now has nine goals, passing Marian Gaborik with the third-highest total in Slovakian history. Miroslav Satan is second with just 10 goals in 22 games, and Marian Hossa is first with 14 goals in 19 games. If the youngster keeps up that kind of play, it’s easy to imagine that he could still move up those rankings this tournament.

As for Oliver Kapanen, the Canadiens’ rookie had to look on from the press box as his teammate put on a show since he was a healthy scratch. We’ll see if the 4-1 defeat prompts the Finn to make some changes.

The Slovaks will be back in action on Friday at 6:10 AM ET when they’ll take on the host nation, Italy. Needless to say, they will not be the underdog then, with the Italian roster made up solely of players not in the NHL.

Follow Karine on X @KarineHains Bluesky @karinehains.bsky.social and Threads @karinehains.  

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Memories like these pop up and serve as a reminder of how drastically different things were for the Pittsburgh Penguins, although now way in the past.

In some ways, this moment might have been – if not rock bottom – than certainly a ‘it always gets darkest before the dawn’ for the Penguins. Kovalev was sent off for most importantly what was termed “future considerations”, which meant $3.9 million dollars in cash. That was the biggest amount the NHL would allow to change hands on a trade in a season where the Penguins were expecting to lose money that year, making their already tenuous financial situation that much worse. The Pens also threw in relatively expensive veterans Laukkanen and Wilson to drop even more salary while picking up a hodgepodge of players back from the Rangers without receiving any of their best prospects.

It was an act of survival and desperation in a hockey landscape where the end result of a healthy Penguin franchise was far from a given. At this point there was no Sidney Crosby or Evgeni Malkin (or even Marc-Andre Fleury), there was just the grim financial reality of trying to scrape by and live to see another day. There was no reason to hope things would improve in the future, after all how could a team losing money purge their best players and expect to ever get better while worsening the product and team? That was a vicious cycle started with the Jaromir Jagr trade of 2001 as the team went into a downturn on and off the ice that troubled their very ability to remain competitive.

Of course by now, the sale of Kovalev is water long under the bridge. It took just five years from this point in 2003 to where the Penguins acquired Marian Hossa in 2008 as a sort of a full circle moment where the small time operation had been transformed into something completely different. In retrospect, it’s amazing just how quickly that took place.

A lot happened to get there: a new CBA tied revenue to team player payroll, there was an agreement with the state for a new arena to be built that would allow the team to grow, the draft broke extremely friendly to add players like Fleury, Crosby and Malkin to inject new life and talent get to the point where the shoe was on the other foot. The Penguins were now the fully functional NHL franchise, spending to the maximum limits, a position they would remain financially accessible to be at to this day. There were no more budgetary constraints, the team never had to imagine trading away a prime aged Crosby or Malkin due to salary concerns or even bigger questions about the viability of their team.

And, of course, eight years after they shipped him away, in 2011 Pittsburgh would re-acquire Kovalev as a rental of their own for a playoff run in the ultimate full circle moment. What he came back to by then was different in every way besides the jersey colors and Mario Lemieux from when Kovalev left.

That bright future felt like an extremely unlikely scenario back in 2003, when the Pens were in the NHL in name but hardly as a true franchise capable to operate.

On Wednesday, the Men’s Ice Hockey Tournament began at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan with Slovakia and Sweden opening Group B play with victories. Action will ramp up even further today with four games on the schedule, including Sidney Crosby leading Team Canada against Czechia in Group A while the Americans open Group C play by taking on Arturs Silvos and Latvia.

In other games set for Thursday, Switzerland takes on France in Group A and Denmark does battle with Germany in Group C.

Puck drop for Canada is set for 10:40 AM EST and can be seen on USA or Peacock. For the United States, puck drop is scheduled for 3:10 PM EST, airing on USA or Peacock as well.

Pens Points…

There is plenty of Penguins representation at the Olympics, with Sidney Crosby, Rickard Rakell, Erik Karlsson, and Arturs Silovs all taking part. Even on the women’s side, there are four Penguins’ Elite alumni representing the United States in Milan. [Penguins]

Already a decorated Olympian himself, Erik Karlsson returns to the Olympics with a silver medal on his resume from the Sochi Games in 2014. Now an elder statesman of the bunch, Karlsson is relishing the opportunity to once again represent his country on the Olympic stage. [Penguins]

Between making his NHL debut and his play in the AHL, Avery Hayes is on a heater at the moment and gets the nod for AHL Player of the Week. Taking after Hayes, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins are hot as a team, winning five straight with their sights set on a playoff bye. [Pensburgh]

Every summer, we go through the evaluate the Penguins top 25 players under the age of 25 years old. With the team on hiatus for the Olympics, now seems like a good time to check in on our list of prospects from this past summer and see how their seasons are going thus far. [Pensburgh]

In his NHL debut last week against the Buffalo Sabres, Avery Hayes played a starring role with a pair of goals to help jumpstart the Penguins to victory. As a bonus, Hayes was wearing a microphone for the game and the Penguins digital team caught some good sound bites from the rookie. [Penguins]

After years of disappointing bottom six play, this season’s Penguins team has been blessed with routinely great play coming out of the third and fourth lines. Most notably, the current fourth line has been a buzzsaw against opponents, regularly closing down games when asked. [PPG]

NHL News and Notes…

In the first Olympic hockey game featuring NHL players since 2014, Slovakia pulled off a massive upset with a 4-1 victory over Finland. Juraj Slafkovsky, who participated four years ago before being drafted, recorded two goals and an assists to give his country a massive leg up in Group B. [NHL]

It was always going to be an uphill battle for hosts Italy in this tournament and starting off against medal favorites Sweden was a tough draw, but the home side battled away and put a scare into the Swedes before ultimately falling 5-2 in their Olympic opener. [NHL]

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It's now been over a decade since the Detroit Red Wings were in this kind of position heading into the NHL Trade Deadline. 

For the first time since 2015, they very well could be buyers rather than sellers with the annual Deadline quickly approaching (March 6) after the conclusion of the Olympic break.

Currently third overall in the Atlantic Division (tied with the Montreal Canadiens, who have a game in hand, at 72 points apiece), the Red Wings would end their lengthy postseason drought and bring Stanley Cup Playoff Hockey to Little Caesars Arena for the first time if they were to begin today. 

That being said, the Red Wings have been linked to multiple players across the NHL who could soon be on the move from their own respective clubs. 

Bookmark The Hockey News Detroit Red Wings team site to stay connected to the latest news, game-day coverage, and player features. 

While the Red Wings did make a pair of minor acquisitions last season in early March, acquiring goaltender Petr Mrazek and depth forward Craig Smith from the Chicago Blackhawks for underachieving former first-round draft pick Joe Veleno, their lack of meaningful additions drew a blunt reaction from team captain Dylan Larkin. 

In recent seasons, the Red Wings have dealt away players such as Gustav Nyquist, Tomas Tatar, Nick Jensen, Mike Green, Andreas Athanasiou, Vladislav Namestnikov, Tyler Bertuzzi, Nick Leddy, Jakub Vrana, and Oskar Sundqvist at the NHL trade deadline.

Hall of Famer Chris Pronger Weighs In on Red Wings Defenseman Moritz SeiderLongtime Detroit Red Wings nemesis Chris Pronger weighed in on the performance of defenseman Moritz Seider so far this season.

Those teams had fallen out of the postseason race to varying degrees, a stark contrast to the position the current Red Wings find themselves in.

While they're currently in a playoff position, the Red Wings would benefit greatly from adding both a bona fide right-handed defenseman and a top-six forward.

Given Detroit's salary cap flexibility, an acquisition of both would be doable, as the team has nearly $13 million in available space to work with. 

Having posted their best record at this point in a season since 2015, the Red Wings have earned reinforcement at the trade deadline.

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The Detroit Red Wings haven't had a Norris Trophy-winning defenseman since the days of Hall of Famer Nicklas Lidstrom patrolling their blue line. Lidstrom won the award seven times, most recently in 2011. 

However, that drought has a significant chance of ending this season. 

Defenseman Moritz Seider has all the tools to firmly be in the conversation as one of the NHL’s best at his position.

Seider currently leads all Red Wings defensemen in ice time and points while contributing in every situation. He also carries a team-best plus-13 rating.

While the current odds-on favorite to be named the Norris Trophy winner is Cale Makar of the Colorado Avalanche, Seider is giving him a healthy dose of competition. 

During a recent episode of the Spittin’ Chiclets podcast, hosts Ryan Whitney and Paul Bissonnette were joined by Hall of Famer Chris Pronger, and the conversation turned to Seider.

"We mentioned a month ago, the season he's having," Whitney said of Seider. "And I said, 'I don't know if there's been a defenseman as close to Chris Pronger the way Moritz Seider is playing right now....he's mean, he's enormous." 

Bookmark The Hockey News Detroit Red Wings team site to stay connected to the latest news, game-day coverage, and player features. 

“Are you seeing some characteristics that you had in your game out of him?” Whitney asked.

Bissonnette followed up: “And is he a No. 1 at this point?"

"At this point, yes," Pronger responded without hesitation before delving deeper into the characteristics that he feels a top NHL defenseman should have. 

What makes up a TRUE number one defenseman? @chrispronger explains his perfect formula. pic.twitter.com/YK2CDfXhVL

— Spittin' Chiclets (@spittinchiclets) February 9, 2026

The top defensive pairing of Seider and Edvinsson has been at the top of the NHL this season and has been a key part of Detroit's advantageous position in the standings at the time of the Olympic break. 

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What’s next for Brennan Othmann?

It finally appeared as if Othmann was building on momentum at the NHL level. After a hot stretch in the American Hockey League with the Hartford Wolf Pack, Othmann was called up and played in 10 consecutive games for the New York Rangers. 

Sullivan was also giving the 23-year-old forward more opportunity, playing him in a third-line role while also slotting him on the second power-play unit. 

In the Rangers’ final game leading into the Olympic break, Othmann was scratched out of the lineup. 

At first thought, the wide sentiment was that Othmann was scratched due to CBA rules regarding his eligibility to be assigned back to Hartford during the Olympic break. 

However, Mike Sullivan made abundantly clear that this wasn’t his reasoning for holding him out of the lineup. 

Sullivan also didn’t shy away from the fact that Othmann’s play hasn’t necessarily met up to his standards thus far.

“I think there are elements of his game that have to continue to improve in order for him to establish himself as an NHL player,” Sullivan said of Othmann.

In 16 NHL games this season, Othmann has recorded just one point despite his slightly increased role.

As of right now, Othmann still hasn’t been sent down to the AHL, but it’s still entirely possible he does before the Rangers resume play on Feb. 26. 

With the Rangers in the process of “retooling” the roster and more trades likely in the pipeline, Othmann should get another opportunity in the NHL this season. 

Mike Sullivan Holds The Keys To U.S. Men's Hockey Olympic Roster The time has finally come for Mike Sullivan. 

There’s still a level of trust that Othmann has yet to build with Sullivan that may hold him back from earning a permanent spot in the lineup, even despite the Rangers’ emphasis to give young players a chance. 

“You're still trying to earn, and you're still trying to build a little bit of trust from the coaching staff,” Othmann said. “I'm still trying to build trust. I'm still trying to learn.”

No sweat for Dalibor Dvorsky in his Olympic debut.

The 20-year-old St. Louis Blues center, a first-round pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, made his first appearance for Slovakia a memorable one with the game-winning goal and an assist to help the Slovaks upset Finland, 4-1, at Santagiulia IHO Arena in Milan, Italyon Wednesday.

Dvorsky scored on a net front loose puck rebound, beating Juuse Saros (Nashville Predators) at 7:20 of the third period to break a 1-1 deadlock:

DALIBOR DVORSKY GAME WINNING GOAL IN THE OLYMPICS THATS MY GOATpic.twitter.com/9P62ZD11cg

— The Thunderdome (@GoTBirds413) February 11, 2026

Dvorsky would add an assist on Juraj Slafkovsky's (Montreal Canadiens) second goal of the game, a power-play goal at 10:30 to add insurance to Slovakia's upset win and stir the pot to open the men's portion of Group B preliminary round play.

Dvorsky had two shots on goal and was a plus-1 in 11:14 of ice time as the third-line center in the game and was the game's third star; he became the youngest Slovakian player to score a goal in the Olympics (20 years, 241 days) with NHL players, according to NHL public relations:

Dalibor Dvorsky scored Team Slovakia's second goal of the game to give his country a 2-1 lead in the third period. #MilanoCortina2026#WinterOlympics 🇸🇰 #NHLStats: https://t.co/N7zjnnmvsKpic.twitter.com/UVIUNsM4JG

— NHL Public Relations (@NHLPR) February 11, 2026

Suter Honored To Represent Switzerland ... 'We've Got A Good Team'Blues center said not to overlook Swiss at Milano-Cortina 2026 Olympics

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MILAN — The 2026 men’s Winter Olympic hockey tournament produced its first major upset in the opening game, as Slovakia—the defending bronze medalists—stunned the reigning 2022 Olympic champions, Finland, with a commanding 4–1 victory to launch the competition.

Montreal Canadiens forward Juraj Slafkovský scored twice for Slovakia, while St. Louis Blues forward Dalibor Dvorský scored the game-winning goal, and Adam Ružička also tallied one for Slovakia.

Minnesota Wild prospect Samuel Hlavaj was nothing short of spectacular in the Slovak crease, stopping 38 shots against the formidable Finnish attack.

Eeli Tolvanen scored the lone goal for Finland.

First Period

Slafkovský capitalized on a costly turnover by Mikko Lehtonen, corralled the puck, and methodically assessed his options before executing a deft deke around a fully outstretched Juuse Saros, tucking it into the gaping net. The goal gave Slovakia a 1–0 lead 12:15 into the opening period.

Up to that point, Finland had largely dictated possession, controlling the pace of play for much of the first half. Yet Hlavaj remained resolute, turning aside several high-quality scoring chances, including a pair of dangerous slot attempts from Colorado’s Artturi Lehkonen. One came off a blistering one-timer, but Hlavaj reacted with lightning reflexes, flashing his blocker at the last possible instant to steer the puck out of harms way. 

Later, Slovakia captain Tomáš Tatar was called for tripping Niko Mikkola, granting Finland its first power play of the contest. The Finns generated a handful of dangerous looks with the man advantage, highlighted by a Mikko Rantanen shot that sailed wide — prompting the former Avalanche star to slam his stick to the ice in visible frustration.

Finland began the second period shorthanded following a heated altercation at the horn to end the first. Joel Armia was assessed a roughing minor in the aftermath of the post-whistle scrum, giving Slovakia the early man advantage to open the middle frame.

Second Period

Finland successfully killed off the Armia penalty and swiftly seized momentum when Matuš Sukeľ was called for holding Mikko Rantanen. This time, the Finns converted their power play opportunity.

At 4:15 of the second period, Tolvanen evened the score at 1–1, detonating a thunderous one-timer from the slot off a precise feed from Armia. The shot beat the goaltender cleanly and ignited the Finnish bench. Artturi Lehkonen was credited with the secondary assist, helping orchestrate the equalizer.

Later in the period, with 10:49 remaining, Slafkovský threatened to restore Slovakia’s lead, but Saros remained vigilant, turning aside the attempt with a sharp pad save.

As the frame drew to a close, Lehkonen found himself with another prime scoring opportunity from the slot. However, he was unable to lift the puck over Hlavaj’s pad, and the Slovak netminder produced yet another remarkable stop, preserving the deadlock heading into intermission.

Third Period

Despite being outshot 35–20, Slovakia regained the lead at 12:40 of the third period. Dvorský, a forward for the St. Louis Blues, seized on a defensive lapse, lifting a precise shot over Saros into the net.

Dvorský had collected a pass in stride just as Sebastian Aho lost his footing and slid to the ice, creating a wide-open scoring lane. The Slovak forward did not hesitate, snapping the puck past Saros to register his first Olympic goal to give his team a 2–1 advantage in the pivotal final frame.

#aurahttps://t.co/NrW5bFQl0s

— (can)ada (@ch1efsglazer) February 11, 2026

Slafkovský struck again with 9:30 remaining, scoring his second goal of the game and marking his ninth career Olympic goal in just eight games. Following a delay-of-game penalty on Miro Heiskanen for shooting the puck over the glass, Slovakia maintained pressure. Šimon Nemec intercepted a clearing attempt at the point, kept the play alive, and fed Slafkovský, who rifled some top-shelf cheese over Saros for an insurance marker, extending Slovakia’s lead to 3–1.

SLAFKOVSKY WITH HIS 2ND OF THE GAME TO TAKE A 3-1 LEAD IN THE 3RD 🤯🚨

His 9th goal in 8 Olympic Games 😵‍💫 pic.twitter.com/qsakgnb4Wp

— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) February 11, 2026

Juraj Slafkovsky makes it 3-1 Slovakia. Big upset brewing right now.

— Ethan Sears (@ethan_sears) February 11, 2026

With roughly six minutes remaining, Rasmus Ristolainen delivered a hard check to Martin Pospíšil into the boards. Pospíšil remained on his knees momentarily before making his way back to the bench under his own power; no penalty was assessed.

Finland pulled Saros for the extra attacker with under five minutes to play, hoping to mount a comeback. Ristolainen’s desperate diving attempt delayed an empty-net goal momentarily, but it ultimately proved futile. A scrum erupted in front of the net as Rantanen tried to cover the puck, but Ružička, a Dallas Stars forward, backhanded it into the cage, sealing a 4–1 victory for Slovakia and extinguishing any hope of a Finnish rally.