Germany, Japan, Sweden earn final spots to 2026 Women’s Winter Olympic hockey tournament
The field is (mostly) set for the 2026 women’s Winter Olympic hockey tournament.
This past weekend saw 12 teams fight it out for the last three spots in qualification. It led to a lot of great action and some surprising results.
The first team to advance was Japan. The Asian nation hosted the Group G finals in Tomakomai and left no doubt. After beating up France 7-1 in their first game of the weekend on Thursday, the Japanese shut out Poland with a convincing 6-0 victory, punching their ticket before their final match against continental rival China on Sunday, which resulted in a 4-1 win.
Yumeka Wajima led the group with five goals, with former PWHL Ottawa member Akane Shiga registering six points in three games, placing her second among all skaters in Group G. Veteran netminder Miyuu Masuhara gave up just one goal on the 29 shots she faced over her two wins.
After missing out on three straight Olympics after the turn of the century, Japan has made it to each of the last three Winter Games, advancing to the quarterfinals each time, finishing sixth in both Pyeongchang (2018) and Beijing (2022).
Sweden might have tasted some success over the years, but they had to win their way to keep their Olympic streak intact. In Group H, Damkronorna used the home ice to their advantage, not allowing a goal in their three games in Gavie.
After sneaking away with a 3-0 win over Norway last Thursday, Sweden looked a lot more dominant in an 8-0 drubbing of the Netherlands on Friday before taking down Denmark 5-0 in a do-or-die game on Sunday. With a combined score of 16-0, the Scandinavian nation punched their ticket to the Olympics for the seventh time.
Lisa Johansson and Jenn Raunio each scored twice in the qualifier finale, with Johansson and Sara Hjalmarsson leading the group with three goals apiece. Johansson, Hjalmarsson and Sofie Lundin each ended up with five points. Boston Fleet netminder Emma Soderberg was solid in her two starts, turning away all 22 shots she faced this weekend.
Sweden will head into Italy hoping to make it to the semifinals for the first time since the Sochi Games in 2014. They’ve had some good performances by their Under-18 team in recent years, with players like Hilda Svensson expected to make an impact in 2026.
Damkronorna hasn’t medaled at the Olympics since their surprising run to the gold medal game in Turin in 2006, the last time the Winter Games were held in Italy.
Germany scratched its name into the Olympic tournament for the first time since Sochi seven years ago, but it nearly didn’t happen.
In front of a raucous home crowd in Bremerhaven, Träger der Adler had its hands full in a winner-take-all clash with Hungary on Sunday. Sisters Lilli Welcke and Luisa Welcke scored for the host nation but couldn’t muster any insurance goals. Hungary pushed for the tying goal in the closing moments, with Hungary’s Taylor Baker scoring what looked like the equalizer as time expired. However, it was determined the puck crossed the line after the final horn went, giving Germany an incredible 2-1 win.
If DOES NOT get closer than this. Hungary needed about a tenth of a second more. Instead, Germany is into the Olympic Games.
That is just a heartbreaking end for Hungary. pic.twitter.com/PsJlsoC01j
It marked an exceptional weekend for the Germans. They outlasted border rivals Austria in their first game of group play on Thursday before hammering Slovakia 6-1 in game two.
The Welcke sisters and Svenja Voigt were the only players to post three points over the weekend for Germany, showcasing the depth scoring that the team will need to compete at the IIHF Women’s World Championship this spring.
Sandra Abstreiter, who was named the best goaltender at the world championship in Utica last year, was marvelous in goal. The Montreal Victoire netminder gave up just two goals on the 61 shots she faced in three games, making 23 saves in the deciding game against Hungary on Sunday.
The three teams will join Canada, Czechia, Finland, Switzerland, United States and host Italy at next year’s tournament. Currently, Russia is listed sixth in the IIHF World Rankings. However, if the International Olympic Committee rules that Russian athletes aren’t allowed to compete in Milan, Hungary would qualify for the Olympics for the first time ever, as they are the highest-ranked country among the second-place teams.
The groups will not be finalized until the IOC makes its decision on the participation of Russian athletes in Milano.
While the Russian Federation has been banned from the Olympics dating back to 2018, Russian athletes have been allowed to compete under names such as the Olympics Athletes of Russia and the Russian Olympic Committee.
Despite not qualifying for the Olympics, Norway will have a chance to play in some best-on-best hockey this spring as they qualified for the upcoming Women’s Worlds in Czechia.
One team that surprisingly missed out on qualification was Slovakia. Despite dominating in the opening stages of qualification, headlined by the 16-year-old superstar Nela Lopusanova, the Slovaks fell flat in Germany. The team scored just four goals, losing all three games by a combined score of 17-4. Even with an exceptional youth movement, Slovakia will have to wait another four years to end its Olympics drought in women’s hockey. Repre has only qualified for the Winter Games once, that coming in Vancouver in 2010.
The women’s hockey portion of the 25th Winter Olympics is scheduled to begin on Feb. 5 in Milan.