Olympic Men's Hockey Power Rankings: Canada Hold The Edge On Paper

The 2026 Olympic men's hockey tournament begins Wednesday, with Finland and Slovakia opening the competition.

It's been a long time coming since the hockey world last saw a true best-on-best tournament with NHL player participation. That hasn't happened at the Olympics since the 2014 Winter Games in Sochi, when Canada defeated Sweden for gold.

Before the puck drops for the men's competition in Milan, it's a good time to assess where teams rank going into the contest.

Does Team Canada still hold the edge over Team USA? Who's better between Finland and Sweden? Who is the true dark horse of this tournament? And who sits at the bottom of the pack?

Here are some Olympics power rankings as the competition begins.

Team Canada is the favorite in these Olympics, and that's usually the case when NHL players participate. There's no doubt the gap is small between them and their rivals, but a roster with Connor McDavid, Nathan MacKinnon, Sidney Crosby, Macklin Celebrini, Cale Makar and others is basically expected to take home gold. Anything else is a failure.

BetMGM gold medal odds: 2.05/+105

The Americans are a very close second, just like in the 4 Nations Face-Off last year. Team USA has fallen one goal short of beating the Canadians in the 2010 gold medal game, 2014 semifinal and 4 Nations Face-Off. Could that change this time around?

BetMGM gold medal odds: 2.90/+190

Team Sweden is always expected to medal, and that is no different for the 2026 Olympics. They have one of the most talented rosters at the tournament, even if there is an injury concern about William Nylander. Lucas Raymond, Rasmus Dahlin, Filip Forsberg, Victor Hedman and goalie Filip Gustavsson will make this team fun to watch.

BetMGM gold medal odds: 8.50/+750

It feels like Team Finland is often just behind its rival Sweden. The Finns have a big statement to make in this tournament, and their matchup against the Swedes on Feb. 13 will be a must-watch affair. With that, Finland has the most medals in Olympic men's hockey when NHL players are eligible to compete, with three bronzes and one silver.

BetMGM gold medal odds: 12.00/+1100

Team Czechia is the very popular "dark horse" pick for these Olympics. There is great reasoning behind that, as they have a solid lineup on paper in all areas of the ice. Look out for goaltender Lukas Dostal to steal a game or two and superstar David Pastrnak to break hearts.

BetMGM gold medal odds: 26.00/+2500

Team Germany's depth isn't strong, but it has some stars who could probably make any Olympic team. Leon Draisaitl, Tim Stutzle and Moritz Seider arguably set Germany apart from the rest of the teams below them. Goaltender Philipp Grubauer has been steady in the crease this year.

BetMGM gold medal odds: 67.00/+6600

Team Switzerland has some solid difference-makers, such as Kevin Fiala, Nico Hischier and Roman Josi. They've earned lots of love for the "dark-horse" pick as well. They likely won't dominate in this competition, but who's to say they can't upset some of the powerhouses?

BetMGM gold medal odds: 26.00/+2600

Team Slovakia could upset a few teams that sit ahead of them in these power rankings. With a couple of notable names up front, such as Juraj Slafkovsky and Tomas Tatar, the Slovaks have a solid D-corps with Martin Fehervary, Simon Nemec, Erik Cernak and even Martin Marincin, who's played several games in the NHL.

BetMGM gold medal odds: 81.00/+8000

Team Denmark doesn't have much NHL representation on its roster, but the few who are on it are solid players. Nikolaj Ehlers and Oliver Bjorkstrand can score in the NHL, and Lars Eller will be the team's No. 1 center. In addition, Frederik Andersen will be their go-to puckstopper.

BetMGM gold medal odds: 301.00/+30000

Team Latvia doesn't carry much expectation going into many international tournaments, so it's extra special when they pull off an upset - remember the 2023 IIHF World Championship? Also, they got Elvis Merzlikins and Arturs Silovs as a goalie tandem, capable of surprising.

BetMGM gold medal odds: 301.00/+30000

These Olympics in Milan will be a great warmup for France when they host the Winter Olympics in 2030. Don't expect them to win many games, especially in the tough Group A with Canada, Switzerland and Czechia.

BetMGM gold medal odds: 751.00/+75000

Finally, the host nation, Italy. It would be almost a miracle to see the Italians climb any further from this position in these power rankings, but hockey fans have seen crazier things. Although the question with this team of zero NHL players won't be, "how many wins can they earn?" It's more so, "how many goals will they score?"

BetMGM gold medal odds: 851.00/+85000

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