Jason's Retro Space

One of the most anticipated events of the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy was the Men’s Ice Hockey Tournament. It was not much surprise that the final four teams were USA, Canada, Finland, and Slovakia. However, it was a surprise how well Finland played, earning a Bronze Medal by defeating Slovakia in the Bronze Medal game. Finland just coming off a heartbreaking loss to Canada wherein they held a 2-0 lead going in the 3rd period against their opponent. With veteran Finnish superstar Teemu Selanne stating that if not for a high sticking penalty in the final minutes Finland would have won the game. The Bronze Medal game did not have the same fate for the Finnish side as they soundly defeated Slovakia with a final score of 6-1. It should come as no surprise with a roster comprised of 24 NHL players including greats such as Sebastian Aho and Kaapo Kakko. The state of hockey in Slovakia however, must be greatly scrutinized as they were once a powerhouse nation for ice hockey. Last winning a Bronze Medal in the 2022 Winter Olympics, they suffered major defeats in their final 2 games of the 2026 Winter Olympics. As I write this the greatly anticipated Gold Medal game between USA and Canada is yet to be played. It will no doubt be a very exciting game with the two teams developing an intense rivalry. Although it may be of minimal importance to the outcome of the game, the USA defeated Canada in the Women’s Ice Hockey game in this 2026 Olympic games.