The 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics are upon us, and with it, the excitement and anticipation are palpable. But as Chris Pronger, a guest columnist for The Athletic, points out, the tournament can be unpredictable and fast-paced. Pronger highlights the importance of the round-robin stage, which is just a good start, and not the final word on a team's capabilities. He identifies five teams with a path to winning gold: Canada, Slovakia, Finland, the United States, and Sweden. However, he notes that the latter two haven't been consistent, and are likely to face each other in the quarterfinals. Pronger also discusses the importance of depth and NHL players, and how teams like Canada and the USA come at you with wave after wave of pace and pressure. He also highlights the danger of underdog teams, who can hang around and cause upsets. The tournament is about to get more intense, and Pronger is eager to see how the teams perform when the stakes are highest. He also takes a closer look at the Canadian team, particularly the performance of 19-year-old Macklin Celebrini, who has been impressive and unselfish. Pronger also discusses the importance of goaltending, and how Canada's top line is a brutal matchup for anyone. He concludes by noting that anything can happen in single-game elimination, but the two North American giants, Canada and the USA, have been head and shoulders above the other teams thus far. However, he also acknowledges that Finland, Slovakia, and Sweden are still lurking and remain real threats.
