Category: Olympics

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The group stage of the Winter Olympics ice hockey tournament comes to a close today, but before the play-off and quarterfinal brackets can be set, there are still games to be played. Things got started early with Czech Republic vs. Switzerland, but now it’s time for Canada to take on France for the Group A finale.

Team Canada enters today’s matchup with a 2-0 record in round robin games and a guaranteed play-off round bye into the quarterfinals no matter the result of today’s game thanks to a goal differential of +9.

Connor McDavid had another three point game in Friday’s 5-1 victory over Switzerland, opening the scoring early before setting up two more goals for Nathan MacKinnon and Thomas Harley.

With an 0-2 record, France has already punched its ticket for the play-off qualification round on Feb. 17 no matter the outcome of today’s game.

Canada vs. France start time

Canada vs. France is scheduled to start at 10:40 a.m. ET today, Feb. 15.

How to watch Canada vs. France for free

If you don’t have cable, you’ll need a live TV streaming service to stream Olympic hockey for free.

DIRECTV is our favorite service for watching TV live for free — it has a five-day free trial and there are a ton of options for plans that include CNBC (and every other channel you’ll need for the Olympics), starting at $39.99/month.

You can also catch every minute of the Olympics with a subscription to Peacock, which starts at $10.99/month.

Canada and France team rosters

Below, check out the rosters for Team Canada and France, along with each player’s NHL team.

• Travis Sanheim (D) – Flyers
• Devon Toews (D) – Avalanche
• Cale Makar (D) – Avalanche
• Thomas Harley (D) – Stars
• Shea Theodore (D) – Golden Knights
• Josh Morrissey (D) – Jets
• Colton Parayko (D) – Blues
• Drew Doughty (D) – Kings
• Sam Bennett (F) – Panthers
• Nick Suzuki (F) – Canadiens
• Sam Reinhart (F) – Panthers
• Bo Horvat (F) – Islanders
• Macklin Celebrini (F) – Sharks
• Seth Jarvis (F) – Hurricanes
• Nathan MacKinnon (F) – Avalanche
• Brandon Hagel (F) – Lightning
• Tom Wilson (F) – Capitals
• Mark Stone (F) – Golden Knights
• Brad Marchand (F) – Panthers
• Sidney Crosby (F) – Penguins
• Mitch Marner (F) – Golden Knights
• Connor McDavid (F) – Oilers
• Darcy Kuemper (G) – Kings
• Logan Thompson (G) – Capitals
• Jordan Binnington (G) – Blues

• Enzo Gueby (D)
• Pierre Crinon (D)
• Hugo Gallet (D)
• Yohann Auvitu (D)
• Enzo Cantagallo (D)
• Jules Boscq (D)
• Florian Chakiachvili (D)
• Thomas Thiry (D)
• Charles Bertrand (F)
• Stéphane Da Costa (F)
• Justin Addamo (F)
• Nicolas Ritz (F)
• Louis Boudon (F)
• Pierre-Édouard Bellemare (F)
• Jordann Perret (F)
• Sacha Treille (F)
• Dylan Fabre (F)
• Anthony Rech (F)
• Alexandre Texier (F) – Canadiens
• Aurélien Dair (F)
• Floran Douay (F)
• Kévin Bozon (F)
• Antoine Keller (G)
• Julian Junca (G)
• Martin Neckar (G)

Canada Olympic hockey schedule

• Feb. 15, 10:40 a.m. ET – vs. France

When do the Winter Olympics end?

The 2026 Winter Olympics end with the closing ceremony on Feb. 22 at 2:30 p.m. ET.

Why Trust Post Wanted by the New York Post

This article was written by Angela Tricarico, Commerce Streaming Reporter for Post Wanted Shopping, Page Six, and Decider.com. Angela keeps readers up to date with cord-cutter-friendly deals, and information on how to watch your favorite sports teams, TV shows, and movies on every streaming service. Not only does Angela test and compare the streaming services she writes about to ensure readers are getting the best prices, but she’s also a superfan specializing in the intersection of shopping, tech, sports, and pop culture. When she’s not writing about (or watching) TV, movies, and sports, she’s also keeping up on the underrated perfume dupes at Bath & Body Works and testing headphones. Prior to joining Decider and The New York Post in 2023, she wrote about streaming and consumer tech at Insider Reviews.

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The Olympic men’s ice hockey tournament continues this afternoon with a matchup between two teams who won their opening matches yesterday: Canada and Switzerland.

Team Canada kicked off their quest for a gold medal with a 5-0 victory against the Czech Republic. First-time Olympian and 19-year-old San Jose Sharks phenom Macklin Celebrini opened the scoring in the final seconds of the first period and Connor McDavid had three assists in the win.

Switzerland also won in a high-scoring affair, a 4-0 win over France. New Jersey Devils forward Timo Meier scored the final two goals of the game six minutes apart.

Canada vs. Switzerland start time

Canada vs. Switzerland is scheduled to start at 3:10 p.m. ET today, Feb. 13.

How to watch Canada vs. Switzerland for free

Today’s game is exclusive to the Peacock streaming service and is not airing on cable.

Peacock currently offers two subscription types: Premium with ads and Premium Plus ad-free. Peacock Premium costs $10.99/month, while Premium Plus costs $16.99/month.

You can also save a bit by subscribing to one of Peacock’s annual plans, which give you 12 months for the price of 10. These cost either $109.99 with ads or $169.99 without ads.

Canada and Switzerland team rosters

Below, check out the rosters for Team Canada and Czech Republic, along with each player’s NHL team.

• Travis Sanheim (D) – Flyers
• Devon Toews (D) – Avalanche
• Cale Makar (D) – Avalanche
• Thomas Harley (D) – Stars
• Shea Theodore (D) – Golden Knights
• Josh Morrissey (D) – Jets
• Colton Parayko (D) – Blues
• Drew Doughty (D) – Kings
• Sam Bennett (F) – Panthers
• Nick Suzuki (F) – Canadiens
• Sam Reinhart (F) – Panthers
• Bo Horvat (F) – Islanders
• Macklin Celebrini (F) – Sharks
• Seth Jarvis (F) – Hurricanes
• Nathan MacKinnon (F) – Avalanche
• Brandon Hagel (F) – Lightning
• Tom Wilson (F) – Capitals
• Mark Stone (F) – Golden Knights
• Brad Marchand (F) – Panthers
• Sidney Crosby (F) – Penguins
• Mitch Marner (F) – Golden Knights
• Connor McDavid (F) – Oilers
• Darcy Kuemper (G) – Kings
• Logan Thompson (G) – Capitals
• Jordan Binnington (G) – Blues

• Dean Kukan (D)
• Andrea Glauser (D)
• Michael Fora (D)
• Christian Marti (D)
• Tim Berni (D)
• Jonas Siegenthaler (D) – Devils
• Janis Moser (D) – Lightning
• Roman Josi (D) – Predators
• Simon Knak (F)
• Damien Riat (F)
• Nico Hischier (F) – Devils
• Ken Jäger (F)
• Kevin Fiala (F) – Kings
• Nino Niederreiter (F) – Jets
• Phillipp Kurashev (F) – Sharks
• Timo Meier (F) – Devils
• Pius Suter (F) – Blues
• Denis Malgin (F)
• Sandro Schmid (F)
• Calvin Thürkauf (F)
• Sven Andrighetto (F)
• Christoph Bertschy (F)
• Reto Berra (G)
• Akira Schmid (G) – Golden Knights
• Leonardo Genoni (G)

Canada Olympic hockey schedule

• Feb. 13, 3:10 p.m. ET – vs. Switzerland
• Feb. 15, 10:40 a.m. ET – vs. France

When do the Winter Olympics end?

The 2026 Winter Olympics end with the closing ceremony on Feb. 22 at 2:30 p.m. ET.

Why Trust Post Wanted by the New York Post

This article was written by Angela Tricarico, Commerce Streaming Reporter for Post Wanted Shopping, Page Six, and Decider.com. Angela keeps readers up to date with cord-cutter-friendly deals, and information on how to watch your favorite sports teams, TV shows, and movies on every streaming service. Not only does Angela test and compare the streaming services she writes about to ensure readers are getting the best prices, but she’s also a superfan specializing in the intersection of shopping, tech, sports, and pop culture. When she’s not writing about (or watching) TV, movies, and sports, she’s also keeping up on the underrated perfume dupes at Bath & Body Works and testing headphones. Prior to joining Decider and The New York Post in 2023, she wrote about streaming and consumer tech at Insider Reviews.

New York Post may be compensated and/or receive an affiliate commission if you click or buy through our links. Featured pricing is subject to change.

After 12 years, the NHL has officially returned to the Winter Olympics.

Team Canada plays its first game of the Olympics today, Feb. 10, against a Czech Republic team with 11 NHL players in addition to players from the Czech, Finnish, Swedish and Swiss leagues.

Of Canada’s 25-man roster, all of whom play in the NHL, 23 are first-time Olympians, ranging from long overdue stars like Connor McDavid to the next generation, including second-year phenom Macklin Celebrini.

In his third Olympics, Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby will serve as Canada’s captain for the second time as he begins his quest for a third Olympic gold medal.

Canada vs. Czech Republic start time

Canada vs. Czech Republic is scheduled to start at 10:40 a.m. ET today, Feb. 12.

How to watch Canada vs. Czech Republic for free

If you don’t have cable, you’ll need a live TV streaming service to stream the Olympics for free.

DIRECTV is our favorite service for watching TV live for free — it has a five-day free trial and there are a ton of options for plans that include USA Network (and every other channel you’ll need for the Olympics), starting at $69.99/month.

You can also catch every minute of the Olympics with a subscription to Peacock, which starts at $10.99/month.

Canada and Czech Republic team rosters

Below, check out the rosters for Team Canada and Czech Republic, along with each player’s NHL team.

• Travis Sanheim (D) – Flyers
• Devon Toews (D) – Avalanche
• Cale Makar (D) – Avalanche
• Thomas Harley (D) – Stars
• Shea Theodore (D) – Golden Knights
• Josh Morrissey (D) – Jets
• Colton Parayko (D) – Blues
• Drew Doughty (D) – Kings
• Sam Bennett (F) – Panthers
• Nick Suzuki (F) – Canadiens
• Sam Reinhart (F) – Panthers
• Bo Horvat (F) – Islanders
• Macklin Celebrini (F) – Sharks
• Seth Jarvis (F) – Hurricanes
• Nathan MacKinnon (F) – Avalanche
• Brandon Hagel (F) – Lightning
• Tom Wilson (F) – Capitals
• Mark Stone (F) – Golden Knights
• Brad Marchand (F) – Panthers
• Sidney Crosby (F) – Penguins
• Mitch Marner (F) – Golden Knights
• Connor McDavid (F) – Oilers
• Darcy Kuemper (G) – Kings
• Logan Thompson (G) – Capitals
• Jordan Binnington (G) – Blues

• Radko Gudas (D) – Ducks
• Michal Kempny (D)
• David Špaček (D)
• Filip Hronek (D) – Canucks
• Jirí Ticháček (D)
• Jan Rutta (D)
• Radim Šimek (D)
• Tomáš Kundrátek (D)
• Roman Cervenka (F)
• Radek Faksa (F) – Stars
• Filip Chlapík (F)
• Ondrej Palát (F) – Islanders
• Jakub Flek (F)
• Lukás Sedlák (F)
• Tomáš Hertl (F) – Golden Knights
• David Kämpf (F) – Canucks
• Ondrej Kaše (F)
• Dominik Kubalík (F)
• David Pastrnák (F) – Bruins
• Matej Stránsky (F)
• David Tomášek (F)
• Martin Nečas (F) – Avalanche
• Lukáš Dostál (G) – Ducks
• Karel Vejmelka (G) – Mammoth
• Daniel Vladar (G) – Flyers

Canada Olympic hockey schedule

• Feb. 12, 10:40 a.m. ET – vs. Czech Republic
• Feb. 13, 3:10 p.m. ET – vs. Switzerland
• Feb. 15, 10:40 a.m. ET – vs. France

When do the Winter Olympics end?

The 2026 Winter Olympics end with the closing ceremony on Feb. 22 at 2:30 p.m. ET.

Why Trust Post Wanted by the New York Post

This article was written by Angela Tricarico, Commerce Streaming Reporter for Post Wanted Shopping, Page Six, and Decider.com. Angela keeps readers up to date with cord-cutter-friendly deals, and information on how to watch your favorite sports teams, TV shows, and movies on every streaming service. Not only does Angela test and compare the streaming services she writes about to ensure readers are getting the best prices, but she’s also a superfan specializing in the intersection of shopping, tech, sports, and pop culture. When she’s not writing about (or watching) TV, movies, and sports, she’s also keeping up on the underrated perfume dupes at Bath & Body Works and testing headphones. Prior to joining Decider and The New York Post in 2023, she wrote about streaming and consumer tech at Insider Reviews.

Olympics men's hockey is back to a best-on-best tournament with the return of NHL players.

The league sent its players from 1998 to 2014, but didn't in 2018 (lack of an agreement) and 2022 (need to make up games postponed by COVID). International tournaments are included in the latest collective bargaining agreement, so the league has shut down for several weeks to let players suit up for their national teams.

As a result, NHL players will be plentiful on the rosters of most of the 12 countries participating in Milan. Nineteen of the league's top 25 scorers are at the tournament.

Here are some top NHL players to watch at the 2026 Winter Olympics:

Men's hockey at the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics is more anticipated than it has been in years due to a recent change made by the NHL.

For the first time since 2014, the NHL allowed players from the top hockey league in the world to compete at the Olympics. The NHL is currently on break, with regular season games halted from Feb. 6 to Feb. 24.

REQUIRED READING: How the Olympics men's hockey tournament works: Path to gold medal

That means NHL stars like Team USA captain Auston Matthews (Toronto Maple Leafs) and brothers Matthew Tkachuk (Florida Panthers) and Brady Tkachuk (Ottawa Senators), will be in action. Canada, the gold medal favorite, is also stacked with some of the top talent in the world, such as Connor McDavid (Edmonton Oilers), Nathan MacKinnon (Colorado Avalanche) and the Pittsburgh Penguins' Sidney Crosby, one of the greats of the past century.

Team USA's "Miracle on Ice" gold medal win in 1980 was with amateurs, as the NHL had yet to clear its players for the Olympics. That was also the last year Team USA won a gold medal in men's hockey at the Games.

Here's what to know about men's hockey at the 2026 Winter Olympics, including why NHL players were briefly unable to play in the Olympics for a few cycles:

When's the last time NHL players were in the Winter Olympics?

NHL players last competed at the Winter Olympics in 2014, when the Games were held in Sochi, Russia. NHL players are returning in 2026 for the first time since, as they missed the 2018 and 2022 Olympics.

The NHL didn't allow participation in 2018 due to a multitude of disagreements by the NHL, the International Olympic Committee and the NHL Players Association, which wanted the chance for players to represent their countries. NHL owners also opposed briefly shutting down the season and didn't view South Korea, where the 2018 Games were held, as a site for growth for the league.

The NHL Players Association later got a clause into the newly negotiated Collective Bargaining Agreement in 2020 to allow players to participate in the 2022 and 2026 Olympics. However, the NHL and NHLPA agreed to withdraw from the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics due to the 2021-22 NHL season being impacted by COVID-19, with over 50 games rescheduled.

When did NHL players start playing in the Winter Olympics?

NHL players have only competed in a handful of Olympics, starting with the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan. NHL players also participated in 2002, 2006, 2010 and 2014.

The NHL, International Ice Hockey Federation, International Olympic Committee and the NHL Players' Association reached an agreement on allowing Olympic competition in 1995.

How many NHL players are in the Winter Olympics?

All 32 NHL teams have at least one representative at the 2026 Winter Olympics, with 148 players in total competing.

Is the NHL on break?

The NHL is on break from Feb. 6 to Feb. 24 due to the Winter Olympics.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: When's the last time NHL players were in Winter Olympics?

Olympic hockey, just the NHL, doesn't allow for ties.

A game will go to overtime if it is tied after 60 minutes and there also is the possibility of a shootout if the game remains tied once an overtime period ends.

But there are differences between NHL rules and Olympic rules on how overtimes and shootouts are conducted. The maximum length of a sudden death overtime depends on the round in which the game is being played. And the shootout format is totally different from the one used by the NHL.

Here's an explainer on how overtimes and shootouts work in Olympic hockey:

MILAN — NHL players are scheduled to land in Milan early in the morning Saturday and start practicing within hours.

It's the logistical aspect of getting around 150 players from the U.S. to the 2026 Winter Games, where for the next two weeks they'll try to reach the gold medal game Feb. 22. The players and other NHL personnel are traveling on chartered planes.

While NHL owners may grumble about the possibility of injuries, it's a win for the sport to have the game's best players back at the Olympics for the first time since 2014. (The 2018 Olympics in South Korea were a no-go for insurance and travel reasons, and the NHL pulled out of the 2022 Olympics in Beijing because of the pandemic.)

Here's what to know.

Call it the cost of winning gold.

The 2026 Winter Olympics in Milano-Cortina are fast approaching, and a select group of NHL stars are gearing up for what could be the experience of a lifetime. At the same time, NHL teams are watching closely and remaining mindful of the risks tied to their most valuable assets.

One of the biggest concerns surrounding Olympic participation is the financial risk of losing a player to injury. NHL teams continue to pay players during the tournament, and any injury sustained on the international stage becomes the organization’s responsibility. According to a recent interview with NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly, the 158 players heading to Milan are insured for $3.7-billion.

Which raises an important question: where is all that money going? And more important, how much does it cost to purchase a gold medal?

As you can see in the below breakdown, Team USA and Canada have a significant financial advantage over smaller countries such as Czechia and Slovakia. We'll know in a couple of weeks whether that advantage translates to a gold medal.

(All figures are based on players’ NHL cap hits, per capwages.com. In cases where exact contract details are unavailable, we used the highest end of credible estimates, assuming all players discussed are paid like top end talent.)

United States

$199,375,000 total cap hitSkaters: $174,375,000Goalies: $25,000,000

The U.S. will have by far the most expensive goaltending trio at the Winter Games, with defending Hart and Vezina Trophy winner Connor Hellebuyck of the Winnipeg Jets, along with Boston's Jeremy Swayman, and Dallas' Jake Oettinger each earning more than $8.25 million per season.

Somewhat surprisingly, only one American skater holds a contract inside the NHL’s top 16, with Toronto’s Auston Matthews leading the way at $13.25 million. Beyond that, the roster remains pretty top-heavy, with Vegas’ Jack Eichel, Columbus’ Zach Werenski, Florida’s Matthew Tkachuk, Boston's Charlie McAvoy and Tampa Bay's Jake Guentzel among the top 40 with cap hits of $9 million or more each. With a deep pool of established talent and virtually every player beyond their entry-level deal, the U.S. roster offers few true bargain contracts, with Vincent Trocheck’s $5.625-million cap hit at the bottom.

Canada

$191,815,000 Skaters: $174,715,000Goalies: $17,100,00

Canada narrowly edges the United States in forward payroll, holding three of the five most expensive contracts in the NHL. Colorado’s Nathan MacKinnon leads the way at $12.6 million, followed by Edmonton’s Connor McDavid at $12.5 million and Vegas’ Mitch Marner at $12 million.

Interestingly, Canada also features a trio of well-known agitators in Brad Marchand, Tom Wilson and Sam Bennett, who have a combined cap hit of $19.75 million, but who have also collectively cost themselves $3.06 million due to suspensions.

Canada also benefits from notable value deals. Rookie standout Macklin Celebrini counts just $975,000 against the cap, while defenseman Thomas Harley is earning $4 million this season after playing a pivotal role in Canada’s win at the 4 Nations Face-Off.

In net, Canada’s goaltending also remains comparatively cost-effective. Unlike the United States’ expensive goalie group, with Jordan Binnington, Logan Thompson and Darcy Kuemper averaging $5.7-million.

Tampa Bay Lightning center Brayden Point has been ruled out of the 2026 Winter Olympics because of a lower-body injury. He is being replaced on Team Canada by the Carolina Hurricanes' Seth Jarvis.

Jarvis had played for Canada in the 4 Nations Face-Off but wasn't part of the initial roster for the Olympic team.

Point, injured on Jan. 12, is the second Lightning player to be unable to go to Milan. Anthony Cirelli was hurt in the Stadium Series game and was replaced on Team Canada by Florida Panthers playoff MVP Sam Bennett, who also played in the 4 Nations.

The Lightning had a league-leading 10 Olympians but are now down to eight, falling behind the Panthers' nine. The Panthers got injured Brad Marchand (Canada) and Anton Lundell (Finland) back in their last game.

The Colorado Avalanche and Minnesota Wild are tied with the Lightning with eight representatives.

Even before Marty Walsh took the job as head of the NHL Players’ Association, he started to hear the same refrain.

In interviews for the job, he’d ask players about their priorities. Get us back into best-on-best competition and back into the Olympics, he was told.

After skipping the 2018 Games in Pyeongchang, the NHL had come close to a return in 2022. Contracts were signed, the league’s calendar included a long break in February for players to go to Beijing. The pandemic, and subsequent restrictions on athletes who traveled to China for the Olympics, caused the league to pull out in December 2021.

By the time Walsh was named head of the NHLPA in March 2023, there was no pandemic to worry about. So the conversation quickly got serious about 2026.

After more than a decade without NHL players going to the Olympics, and with an entire generation of the league’s best players never given the opportunity to play in any kind of best-on-best competition, there was broad agreement that something had to give.

“There was never really a negotiation with the NHL,” Walsh told The Post. “It was basically right out the gate, mutually agreed upon that we want to get NHL players back into the Olympics, from Day 1, pretty much.”

It is, of course, one thing to be on the same page about wanting to go to the Olympics, and another thing entirely to make it happen.

On the NHL side, the Olympics come with a particular stumbling block. If they allow their players to go, it is, essentially, the highest-profile hockey event in the world, and the league itself has no control over it and cannot profit off it, at least not directly.

“We have to disappear for two weeks at the height of our season,” commissioner Gary Bettman told The Post. “Which means content for the website, for dot-com, for the radio station, for social media, from us, disappears to a large extent, because we don’t get [intellectual property] rights from the IOC.

“We have to have a compressed schedule. We have to take into account that NHL teams send various amounts of players to the Olympics. Teams like Tampa and the Panthers send 10 players each and we’ve got some teams sending one or two players. Teams are gonna come back in a different place in terms of how they are than when we left. The fact of the matter is, some teams are gonna have a good chunk of their roster a little more tired and banged up.”

Those concerns were shelved during negotiations with the IOC and IIHF for a few reasons.

First, the agreement to go to the Olympics also came with the agreement to hold the 4 Nations Face-Off and, starting in 2028, the World Cup of Hockey. That is a win-win: Players are more than happy to get more opportunities to play best-on-best, and judging by the rousing success of the 4 Nations last season, the World Cup — over which the league and players association have joint control — will be a ratings bonanza and cash cow.

“I think having this consistent schedule moving forward is gonna change the dynamics as far as the fan experience,” Walsh said. “I’m from Boston, I hear it all the time: Is there gonna be another 4 Nations? I try to explain to people, we have a World Cup of Hockey. … I think it’s important for us that people want to see this tournament, make it exciting. That [growth] will be measured at some point; I don’t think you can measure it yet.”

Second, going back to the Olympics was a major priority for the players. It helped, too, that Walsh, unlike certain predecessors, established a strong relationship with Bettman early and the league also recognized that, though the Olympics stood to benefit most from their presence, being there would help grow the game.

Third, negotiations with the IOC and IIHF went well. Costs such as transportation and insurance — the latter of which has turned into an ongoing issue at the World Baseball Classic — needed to be shouldered by those parties. Medical standards identical to the NHL’s were also incorporated.

“Certainly, we weren’t going to pay for the privilege of shutting down,” Bettman said.

The IOC agreed to write the check, so that hurdle was cleared.

“What was not on the list [of issues],” Walsh said, “was the ice. Know what I mean?”

The last hurdle

The first thing that needs to be said about the Santagiulia Arena in Milan is that it is expected to be complete, or, better put, complete enough to stage a competition.

That such a thing was recently in question, though, is a problem unto itself. And if not for the determination of the players, who have taken an attitude that they will play in the Olympics come hell or high water, it’s certainly possible that the state of the arena would be threatening the tournament at large.

The Santagiulia Arena, which will stage most of the men’s games and both the men’s and women’s gold medal games, will have a capacity of approximately 3,000 fewer seats than planned because of construction issues.

Construction of 14 dressing rooms is coming down to the wire, the luxury suites are unfinished, the dimensions of the ice are off by a few feet, the first test event wasn’t held until just a few weeks ago and featured a stoppage of play due to a hole in the ice. The practice rink, which is adjacent to the game rink, has been slow to complete too, though The Post was told last week that it is on schedule.

The good news, relatively speaking, is that the hole in the ice is baked into the expectations for the first game on a new sheet of ice, and not quite as alarming as it sounds. The bad news is, well, pretty much everything else. The ice may be playable, but that is different from the ice being good.

“I was disappointed that the arena wasn’t as much of a priority as we had hoped,” Bettman said. “That they [hadn’t] begun building it sooner, so this wasn’t a bit of a fire drill down the end.”

The NHL and the NHLPA have both tried to keep things diplomatic regarding a situation that will at best narrowly avoid being a total embarrassment. But when Walsh and Bettman spoke to The Post in mid-January, their frustration was obvious.

“I just think when you’re building something like this for the Olympics, I would have thought a sense of urgency would have settled in a lot earlier, where you would have this thing done,” Walsh said. “… You’re talking about the world coming to your city and your country, you would hope that the arena would have been looking — not actually world class — but complete.

“From what I understand, they’re working around the clock now. They just started to work around the clock. Quite honestly, they should’ve been working around the clock all along. If it was coming to my city and I was in charge, I’d say let’s get this thing done.”

The NHL’s agreement with the IOC includes the 2030 Games, where hockey will be played in the Stade de Nice in France — a venue that already exists as a soccer stadium, but which will need to be fitted for hockey and divided into two indoor arenas.

The hope is that Kirsty Coventry, who was appointed head of the IOC last year and thus is not taking the brunt of the blame for the current situation, prevents something similar from happening four years from now.

“My expectation is that they learned from the experience,” Bettman said. “And hopefully we won’t see a repetition of it.”

Russia, Russia, Russia

Another point of contention in this return to best-on-best competition: the exclusion of Team Russia, which has been expelled from international competition due to the country’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine.

That decision — as regards both the Olympics and the 2028 World Cup of Hockey — is essentially out of the NHL’s and PA’s hands, and perhaps even the IOC’s.

First and foremost, the political echelon in European countries would need to be comfortable with the idea of their national teams playing on the same sheet of ice as Russia’s, an inherently uncomfortable thought given the propaganda value of sport. That question might even supersede those involving ongoing ceasefire negotiations, or the Trump administration’s relative warmth toward Vladimir Putin.

“I wouldn’t isolate the United States because of what’s going on here with the president and his relationship, or lack thereof, with Putin,” said Walsh, who was secretary of labor under Joe Biden when Russian soldiers began marching toward Kyiv. “Nobody’s said to us, ‘Let the Russians play,’ as far as political leadership. It’s a world issue and I think it has to be resolved on a world stage.

“I don’t think Canada and the United States can even begin to open the door here. It really has to be Europe.”

It’s little secret that Russian players want to participate, though most have refrained from commenting on the geopolitical situation, in large part because doing so could affect their families at home.

The IIHF and IOC have signaled openness to allowing Russian and Belarussian athletes at the youth level to play starting in 2028.

“That’s entirely their call,” Bettman said.

Drop the puck

Once the tournament begins with Slovakia facing Finland next Wednesday, though, it’s a safe bet that all the concerns will be relegated to the back burner.

If the hockey is good, then a global TV audience won’t care much about whether the luxury suites in the arena are complete, or even if the ice is as good as it could be.

It will be about hockey, Olympic best-on-best hockey, and the stage which produced Sidney Crosby’s golden goal, T.J. Oshie’s shootout heroics, Dominik Hasek carrying Czechia to gold, and the Miracle on Ice will have the spotlight shining on it again.

“I think there’s nothing, in any sport, that compares to our best-on-best,” Bettman said. “The energy, the excitement, the passion, the skill that our players bring to the game is extraordinary.”

Indeed, as the date has grown closer, the excitement to get to Italy has grown palpable in NHL circles. The players, after all, have waited 12 years for this.

“I think everyone’s just chomping at the bit,” Team USA winger Kyle Connor told The Post. “The intensity, the buzz, the awareness of what the 4 Nations brought, now to take that to the scale of the Olympics. As a player, just thrilled to be able to involve more countries as well.

“Just do best-on-best hockey. It’s what you want as a competitor.”

Tampa Bay Lightning center Anthony Cirelli, who was injured in the Stadium Series game, will miss the 2026 Winter Olympics.

He was replaced by Team Canada by Florida Panthers center Sam Bennett, who won the Conn Smythe Trophy as 2025 playoff MVP. He is currently day-to-day with an injury.

Cirelli left Sunday's game after being hit by the Boston Bruins' Mark Kastelic.

Injured Buffalo Sabres goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen was also ruled out for the Olympics. He was replaced by Bruins goalie Joonas Korpisalo.

The USA's Seth Jones (Florida), Sweden's Jonas Brodin (Minnesota) and Leo Carlsson (Anaheim) and Philadelphia's Rodrigo Abols (Latvia) earlier were replaced because of injury.

Here are other NHL Olympians who are currently out with injury, with Olympic status to be determined: