As we continue the run-up to training camps in North America, some pretty important hockey is currently underway in scenic Europe as the three final spots in the 2026 Olympic men’s hockey tournament are being decided.

And, because of how things have unfolded, each spot is up for grabs in a winner-take-all game on the final day of competition.

In the early game at 6 a.m. MT, winless Austria (0-2) and Hungary (0-2) play each other with nothing but pride on the line. Neither team can qualify for the Olympics. (Raise your hand if you thought Austria would be winless at this point?)

In the late game at 10 a.m. MT, Slovakia (2-0) and Kazakhstan (2-0) clash. The winner qualifies for the Olympics, the losing team finishes second in the group. (Again, raise your had if you thought Kazakhstan would be playing for an Olympic berth.)

Through two games, Calgary Flames forward Martin Pospisil has two assists and has won 14 of 27 face-offs that he’s taken. Slovakia has a seven-way tie for the team lead in points (with two apiece).

In the early game at 4 a.m. MT, winless Slovenia (0-2) and Ukraine (0-2) play each other with nothing at stake.

In the late game at 8 a.m. MT, France (2-0) faces Latvia (2-0), with the winner going to the Olympics and the loser settling for second place.

Through two games, Alexandre Texier and Pierrick Dube of France are tied for the lead in points with five each. (Texier has three goals in two games.)

In the early game at 4:30 a.m. MT, Japan (0-2, one loss was overtime) faces Great Britain (0-2). Once again, neither team can qualify for the Olympics.

In the late game at 8:30 a.m. MT, Norway (2-0) faces Denmark (2-0, one win was overtime). Norway has six points, Denmark has five points. The first tiebreaker in the standings is head-to-head results, so this is another case of whoever wins advances.

There’s a three-way tie at the top of Group F’s scoring race with Norway’s Patrick Thoresen, Ken Andre Olimb and Mats Zuccarello having four points apiece. (Thoresen has four goals.)

While the winners of each late game get a ticket to Italy for the Olympics… there’s a non-zero chance that one of the late game losers could be headed there, too. If Russia is not allowed to participate in the 2025-26 IIHF calendar, much as they and Belarus have been barred from competition for the last few seasons due to the invasion of Ukraine, then the highest-ranked second place each would also go to the Olympics.

The standings tiebreakers that would be relevant in this situation would be outright standings points, followed by goal differential. Of the six teams in the late games, Denmark has one fewer point by virtue of one of their wins coming in overtime, so they’re at a distinct disadvantage when it comes to qualifying for the potential fourth spot.