Who will be the final three countries to book their place at the Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic? Here’s everything you need to know about the final qualifiers. The roster of hockey players for the Olympic Games Milan-Cortina 2026 will be determined as part of the Olympic qualifications for hockey (August 29 – September 1).

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Twelve countries will compete for the remaining three spots at the next Winter Olympics, with nine teams, including hosts Italy, already assured of their place. Three qualifying groups will be held in Slovakia, Latvia and Denmark. This is the last chance for hopeful countries to stamp their ticket to the Games, which are 18 months away.

Here is everything you need to know about the final ice hockey qualifiers for Milano-Cortina 2026.

Olympic Ice Hockey Qualification – all nations and groups

The 12 countries are divided into three groups of four, with the group winners qualifying for the Olympics in two years. Each group is held in one of the three top-ranked countries that did not automatically qualify for the world rankings determined in 2023. Group D will be played in Slovakia, group E in Latvia and group F in Denmark.

The Slovakian national team takes ninth place in qualifying and is in the same group with Kazakhstan in Bratislava. They met earlier this year in the group stage of the World Cup, where Slovakia reached the quarter-finals and are now looking to cement their place at the top of the ice hockey table.

Latvia won bronze at last year’s world championships but will want revenge for failing to qualify from the group stage in 2024. Among the teams heading to Riga is Ukraine, the lowest-ranked team still with a chance of Olympic qualification.

The final group in Aalborg offers a tantalizing Scandinavian battle between hosts Denmark and Norway, who currently sit 11th and 12th respectively. However, Britain is hoping to spring a surprise as it plans its first Olympic Games since St Moritz 1948.

Will GB ice hockey reach first Winter Olympic since 1948?

The Great Britain men’s ice hockey team is attempting to qualify for the first Winter Olympics since 1948. They will face hosts Denmark, Norway and Japan in the final qualifying tournament in Aalborg from August 29 to September 1, with the winner securing a place at the 2026 Winter Olympics. Games in Milan.

Great Britain won all three of its matches – against China, Serbia and Romania – in its first qualifying series in February, but will have to beat higher-ranked opponents to qualify for the Games. Great Britain is currently ranked 17th in the world, Denmark, who reached the quarter-finals at the 2022 Winter Olympics, is 11th and Norway is 12th. Japan is in 24th place.

Head coach Pete Russell said it was the biggest challenge he had faced since taking the job in 2015. It is a very difficult task to play for Group A countries after eight months of the season, not to mention such a short time to prepare, but our players will cope, give it everything they have, he said.

Great Britain won two Winter Olympics ice hockey medals – bronze in 1924 and gold in 1936. Women’s hockey was introduced to Nagano in 1998, but Great Britain failed to qualify for the Games.

When are Great Britain playing?

Each team plays each other once and the overall winner will book their ticket to the Winter Olympic 2026.

Thursday, 29 August

Norway v Japan – 14:30

Denmark v Great Britain – 18:30

Friday, 30 August

Norway v Great Britain – 14:30

Japan v Denmark – 18:30

Sunday, 1 September

Great Britain v Japan – 11:30

Denmark v Norway – 15:30

Which countries will be competing at Milano Cortina 2026?

The men’s competition at the 2026 Winter Olympics will feature 12 teams, marking the first time since Sochi in 2014 that NHL players will be allowed to compete for their countries.

Eight countries have already booked their places, with hosts Italy joined by the leading nations according to the 2023 International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) world rankings – Canada, reigning Olympic champions Finland, USA, Germany, Sweden, Switzerland and the Czech Republic.

Russia competed as part of the Russian Olympic Committee at the last Games in Beijing and won a silver medal, but they and Belarus currently suspended for the 2024-2025 season. The IIHF cited security concerns due to the war in Ukraine and set a deadline of May 2025 for its ruling council to decide whether Russia and Belarus could return to the Winter Olympic 2026.

If Russia is admitted, will it become the ninth participating country in the world ranking? The final three places will determined at three separate events this weekend.

In addition to the UK tournament in Denmark, final qualifiers will also held in Slovakia and Latvia. Hosts Slovakia will play Kazakhstan, Austria and Hungary in Bratislava, while hosts Latvia will play France, Slovenia and Ukraine in Riga.

Liam Kirk shares Great Britain’s ‘underdog mentality’ ahead of Winter Olympic qualification

The 24-year-old forward, who the first English-born and trained player to selected in the NHL draft, wants to make history by leading Great Britain to the Milano Cortina 2026. Olympic ice hockey has taken Liam Kirk around the world.

From the small English town of Maltby to the heights of the National Hockey League (NHL), Kirk played in five different countries at the age of 24. He currently plays for 10-time German champions Eisbaren Berlin. However, Kirk now hopes his next stop will be across the Alps at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic.

Great Britain are competing in the final men’s ice hockey Olympic 2026 qualifying round (August 29-September 1) in Denmark, with a place at the Winter Olympic on the line. Kirk’s stardom is evident in the national team, where he will have a key say in whether they take part in the next Games in 18 months’ time.

It’s no easy task, but if anyone can lead Great Britain to its first Olympics since St Moritz 1948, it is the Yorkshire boy who is one of the most exciting players to come out of Britain.

Team GB will play three qualifying matches over four days at the Aalborg Arena in Denmark. They are in a tough group against the 11th and 12th ranked teams in the world in Denmark and Norway respectively, with Japan completing Group F.

“I’m looking forward to meeting the GB boys and hopefully getting off to a good start in the tournament, Kirk told Olympics.com ahead of the final qualifying games.”

Liam Kirk’s Olympic ice hockey journey: ‘It was always my first love’

Kirk comes from a sporting family – his father played cricket and he was a keen school footballer – but the Kirks’ true passion is the ice. You can also read Winter Olympic 2026 – Road toward Winter History of Olympic Speed Skating.

This is the game I grew up playing and my family loves, he says. My older brother plays, and my mom and dad love the sport. They have been big fans of the Sheffield team since I was born. Being from the UK and playing hockey is definitely a different path, but it would be great to continue to develop the game and bring more attention to it.

When Kirk was growing up, he went to watch the Sheffield Steelers, his local team in Yorkshire and Britain’s most decorated hockey club. Kirk signed with them at 16, playing alongside Steelers legends and now his UK teammates Robert Dowd and Ben O’Connor.

“Hockey has always been my first love, it has taken me on a crazy journey and I have seen some amazing parts of the world, he explains. I got to visit so many amazing places and opportunities because of this.”

Pride and Ambition: Kirk’s Legacy and Future Aspirations

In 2018, Kirk took a huge step in his career. He selected by the Arizona Coyotes in the NHL Entry Draft, becoming the first English-born and trained player to selected by an NHL team.

His time with the Coyotes marred by injuries and a loan spell, and he returned to Europe on a permanent basis in 2023. Kirk doesn’t look back on this experience with regret, but rather with optimism about how he was able to learn and grow.

I’m proud to be the first English-born and trained player drafted into the NHL, but that comes with some weight, Kirk admits. I want to show that England is a hockey country and that we produce good hockey players. It is definitely a challenge when I drafted.

“It didn’t go as I planned, but I’m still young. I’m only 24 and I still dream of going back to North America and having a good time one day playing full-time in the NHL.”

Facing Tough Opponents: Great Britain’s Challenge Against Denmark

Kirk knows it will far from easy against quality opposition – Great Britain lost both Scandinavian nations at this year’s World Cup – but is confident in the team’s ability and approach heading into these Olympic 2026 qualifiers.

They have a lot of NHL experience and young talent, he explains. It was a very close game with Denmark, but the game with Norway was a knockout game for us. We didn’t show up that day and I think we let ourselves down as a group. I remember telling a few guys at the end of that tournament that hopefully things would come full circle for us.

“But we always had an underdog mentality, no matter the tournament or the team we played against. So, if we keep that mindset and work hard and believe in it, we can put ourselves in a position at the end of the three games to go to the Winter Olympic.”

Great Britain’s Final Hurdle: Facing Denmark in Winter Olympic Qualification

Great Britain will play their final qualifying campaign against Denmark on Thursday (29 August) in what is by far the toughest test facing the host nation. There is also the problem of holding final qualifying matches for a competition that will take place two years from now, let alone one that will take place immediately after the summer holidays. But this is Britain’s best chance of qualifying in a long time and, inspired by his star striker, he will surely dare to dream.

Kirk explains: Playing in a national team tournament so early in the season to qualify for a big event like the Winter Olympic is unusual, but you have to be mentally tough and physically ready for it. Of course, we give ourselves the opportunity to dream. That’s what life is all about when you’re younger, chasing your dreams and goals.

“When it comes to being in the moment and being ready to play when the puck drops, that’s when we all step up and focus on the task at hand and do our job of helping the team be successful and achieve that goal to be at the Winter Olympic.”

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