Milano Cortina 2026: The Top Ice Hockey Underdogs to Watch

With only four days to the Milano Cortina Ice Hockey Men's finals, fans are on their toes, waiting for their favourite teams to grab that gold medal. While everyone talks about favourites such as the USA, Canada, or Germany, we will discuss the best underdogs who might change the fate of giant teams. Upsets are common, whether it is hockey or football, and true sports fans love it more than anything.

Canada and the USA are undoubtedly the strongest contenders for the finals, but underestimating persistent underdogs can be their biggest mistake. Packed with powerful NHL players, this year's Winter Olympics has been an exhilarating experience. Be it Montreal or Munich, fans are witnessing a shift in which strong team chemistry and discipline can disrupt the strongest lineups. And that's how champions are truly born.

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Slovakia: The Young Powerhouse

Slovakia might not have started as favourites, but their recent win over Finland and Italy has proved their mettle against good teams. Now that the group stage is over, they'll be facing the disciplined challengers, Germany, who are a better side. It would be a huge challenge for Juraj Slafkovsky's boys to beat Germany's relentless ability to come back. Germany might have had a bad preliminary phase, losing to Latvia 4-3 and the USA 5-1, but their recent victory over France makes them a good contender.

Sweden: The Resilience of the Tre Kronor

After defeating Slovakia and Latvia, Sweden made an epic entry to the quarterfinals of Men's Ice Hockey at the Milano Cortina 2026. But the real challenge begins here, where they'll have to face a star-studded United States. The team is led by Colorado Avalanche winger and captain Gabriel Landeskog, who recently made a comeback from injury. Defeating the USA might not be easy, but if they keep a high-powered offence and maintain their structure, they'll have a chance to disrupt American momentum and reach the semi-finals.

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Switzerland: The Defensive Wall

Switzerland might be the most balanced team, having evolved from a defensive specialist to a go-getter. They have already faced and defeated Czechia by 4-3 in the preliminaries and Italy by 3-0 in the qualifiers. But their real test would be against the strong lineup of defending Olympic champions, Finland. The team already has the best defenseman in Roman Josi and the highly rated goalie Akira Schmid. If the defence stays strong, they would easily throw Finland out of the contest.

Czechia: The Skilled Dark Horse

It's been 20 years since Czechia finished on the podium. Last time, when they won the bronze medal, some of the squad members might have been learning to ride a bicycle. With a 4-3 close defeat against Switzerland in prelims, a 6-3 victory over France, and a 3-2 hard-fought victory over Denmark in qualifiers, Czechia will be facing the Canadian giants in the quarterfinals. The key player to watch out for will be David Pastrňák, whose goal-scoring ability can help them get off the line. Roman Červenka will have to use his best strategies to outplay the world-class Canadian squad.

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Why do we consider them Underdogs?

Whether it is Saudi Arabia defeating Argentina in the FIFA World Cup or Belarus defeating Sweden in the 2002 Winter Olympics, most team sports are unpredictable to some level. While the USA or Canada has star-studded lineups featuring NHL players, most other teams lack that exposure to cross the line smoothly. However, Milano Cortina 2026 is a box of surprises, and a single-elimination tournament does not define whether a team is good or bad; it largely depends on whether the day is good for that team. We can say that you shouldn't be surprised if you see any of these teams on the podium.