Celebrini Continues Olympic Dominance as Hockey Quarterfinals Set
The round-robin stage of men’s ice hockey at the 2026 Olympics has concluded, setting the stage for the quarterfinal matchups. Macklin Celebrini and Canada, along with the United States, Slovakia, and Finland, have earned direct entry into the February 18 quarterfinals.
Quarterfinal Matchups
The remaining eight national teams will compete on February 17 for the final four spots. The quarterfinal schedule is as follows:
- Sweden vs. Latvia (12:10 PM PT)
- Switzerland vs. Italy (3:10 AM PT)
- Czechia vs. Denmark (7:40 AM PT)
- Germany vs. France (3:10 AM PT)
Canada will face the winner of the Czechia-Denmark game, the US will play either Sweden or Latvia, Slovakia will take on the victor of Germany-France, and Finland will compete against either Switzerland or Italy.
Celebrini Shines Against France
Macklin Celebrini, the 19-year-old San Jose Sharks superstar, continues to impress at the Olympics. In a dominant 10-2 victory over France, Celebrini recorded two goals and one assist, playing 15:44.
Canada head coach Jon Cooper highlighted Celebrini’s impact, revealing that he didn’t hesitate to let the young star take a penalty shot. “Well you know you get to pick who takes the shot right? We’re on the bench. Ref comes over and says ‘hey Coop, choice is yours!’ So I look over and Macklin’s already getting ready – and the boys all look at me like – you gonna change it…,” Cooper said via Twitter.
Veteran Bellemare Impressed by Celebrini
Pierre-Edouard Bellemare, a veteran of 700 NHL games, expressed his awe of Celebrini’s performance. “He looks absolutely amazing… I think he’s 19 or whatever it is. Goddamn. It’s good that I stopped (playing) in the NHL because if this is what it’s gonna look like, it’s better for me to not be in there anymore,” Bellemare remarked according to Mark Lazerus on Twitter.
Other Notable Moments
A rare Olympic fight broke out between Canada’s Tom Wilson and France’s Pierre Crinon, stemming from a hit on Nathan MacKinnon as seen on Twitter.
Kurashev’s Resurgence
Philipp Kurashev of Switzerland saw increased ice time, skating 17:24, primarily on the top line, in a 4-3 overtime victory against Czechia. Dean Kukan scored the overtime winner. Kurashev has been enjoying a comeback season with the San Jose Sharks.
Tkachuk’s Remark
Matthew Tkachuk of the United States delivered a pointed comment to Leon Draisaitl during their 5-1 win over Germany: “Always a bridesmaid, never a bride.” as reported by Greg Wyshynski on Twitter.