# Ice hockey at the 2018 Winter Olympics – Men's tournament

The men's tournament in ice hockey at the 2018 Winter Olympics was held in Gangneung, South Korea between 14 and 25 February 2018. Twelve countries qualified for the tournament; eight of them did so automatically by virtue of their ranking by the International Ice Hockey Federation, one, South Korea, automatically qualified as hosts, while the three others took part in a qualification tournament.
After five consecutive Olympic tournaments in which the National Hockey League (the world's premier professional league) allowed its players to participate in the Olympics and adjusted its schedule to accommodate the tournament, the NHL announced in 2017 that it would prohibit any player under NHL contract, including those not actually playing for an NHL team, from participating in the Olympics. The NHL secured the cooperation of the International Ice Hockey Federation and the IOC ensuring that nations would not be allowed to ask NHL players to participate.
Unlike the NHL, the vast majority of European leagues accommodated an Olympic break, headlined by Russia-based KHL's 33-day break, Sweden-based Swedish Hockey League's 14-day break, Switzerland-based National League's 25-day break, German-based Eishockey Liga's 26-day break, Czech Republic–based Extraliga's 18-day break, and Slovakia-based Tipsport liga's 14-day break. Conversely, Finland-based SM-liiga did not accommodate a break, but allowed its top players to leave the clubs and participate in the Olympic Games.
The Russian national team, competing under the name of the Olympic Athletes from Russia (OAR), won the gold medal, defeating the German national team with a score of 4–3 in overtime in the final. For Germany, winning the silver medal was the greatest achievement in the history of German ice hockey and the first medal win since the 1976 Winter Olympics in Innsbruck, when West Germany won the bronze medal.
Defending champion Canada secured third place and bronze, defeating Czech Republic 6–4 in the bronze medal game.

## Venue

| Gangneung Hockey Centre Capacity: 10.000 | Kwandong Hockey Centre Capacity: 6.000 |
| Gangneung | Gangneung |

## Qualification

Canada, Russia, Sweden, Finland, United States, Czech Republic, Switzerland, and Slovakia qualified as the top eight teams in the IIHF World Ranking in 2015.
South Korea qualified as host team. To field a competitive team, the South Korean government agreed to grant one American and six Canadian hockey players that were playing in Korean leagues dual citizenship to make them eligible for the national team. The remaining three teams qualified from qualification tournaments.

### Qualified teams

| Event | Date | Location | Vacancies | Qualified |
| Hosts | 19 September 2014 | Tenerife | 1 | South Korea |
| 2015 IIHF World Ranking | 2 April 2012 – 17 May 2015 | Prague and Ostrava | 8 | Canada Russia Sweden Finland United States Czech Republic Switzerland Slovakia |
| Final qualification tournament | 1–4 September 2016 | Minsk | 1 | Slovenia |
| Final qualification tournament | 1–4 September 2016 | Riga | 1 | Germany |
| Final qualification tournament | 1–4 September 2016 | Oslo | 1 | Norway |
| Total | | | 12 | |

#### Notes

* $^a$ 2015 IIHF World Ranking were comprising the following events: 2012 World Championship, 2013 World Championship, 2014 Winter Olympic Games, 2014 World Championship and 2015 World Championship
* $^b$ Prague and Ostrava were the sites for 2015 IIHF World Championship; at the conclusion of the tournament the ranking were finalized with regards to the qualification slots.
* $^c$ In December 2017, the IOC suspended Russia from competing at the Winter Olympics as part of its sanctions following state-sponsored doping scandal. Russian athletes deemed clean were permitted to compete as Olympic Athletes from Russia.

## Match officials

14 referees and 14 linesmen were selected for the tournament.

## Preliminary round

All times are local (UTC+9).

### Tiebreak criteria

In each group, teams were ranked according to the following criteria:
* Number of points (three points for a regulation-time win, two points for an overtime or shootout win, one point for an overtime or shootout defeat, no points for a regulation-time defeat);
* In case two teams were tied on points, the result of their head-to-head match determined the ranking;
* In case three or four teams were tied on points, the following criteria applied (if, after applying a criterion, only two teams remained tied, the result of their head-to-head match determined their ranking):
** Points obtained in head-to-head matches between the teams concerned;
** Goal differential in head-to-head matches between the teams concerned;
** Number of goals scored in head-to-head matches between the teams concerned;
** If three teams remained tied, result of head-to-head matches between each of the teams concerned and the remaining team in the group (points, goal difference, goals scored);
** Place in 2017 IIHF World Ranking.

### Group A

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | OTW | OTL | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
| 1 | Czech Republic | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 4 | +5 | 8 | Quarterfinals |
| 2 | Canada | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 11 | 4 | +7 | 7 | Quarterfinals |
| 3 | Switzerland | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 10 | 9 | +1 | 3 | Qualification playoffs |
| 4 | South Korea (H) | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 14 | −13 | 0 | Qualification playoffs |

### Group B

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | OTW | OTL | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
| 1 | Olympic Athletes from Russia | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 14 | 5 | +9 | 6 | Quarterfinals |
| 2 | Slovenia | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 12 | −4 | 4 | Qualification playoffs |
| 3 | United States | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 8 | −4 | 4 | Qualification playoffs |
| 4 | Slovakia | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 7 | −1 | 4 | Qualification playoffs |
* 1 2 3 Slovenia 4 Pts; USA 4 Pts; Slovakia 1 Pts. Slovenia defeated USA 3–2 in overtime.

### Group C

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | OTW | OTL | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
| 1 | Sweden | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 1 | +7 | 9 | Quarterfinals |
| 2 | Finland | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 11 | 6 | +5 | 6 | Qualification playoffs |
| 3 | Germany | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 7 | −3 | 2 | Qualification playoffs |
| 4 | Norway | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 11 | −9 | 1 | Qualification playoffs |

### Ranking after preliminary round

Following the completion of the preliminary round, all teams were ranked 1D through 12D. To determine this ranking, the following criteria were used in the order presented:
* higher position in the group
* higher number of points
* better goal difference
* higher number of goals scored for
* better 2017 IIHF World Ranking.
* Team advanced to Quarterfinals
* Team played in Qualification playoffs
| Rank | Team | Group | Pos | GP | Pts | GD | GF | IIHF Rank |
| 1D | Sweden | C | 1 | 3 | 9 | +7 | 8 | 3 |
| 2D | Czech Republic | A | 1 | 3 | 8 | +5 | 9 | 6 |
| 3D | Olympic Athletes from Russia | B | 1 | 3 | 6 | +9 | 14 | 2 |
| 4D | Canada | A | 2 | 3 | 7 | +7 | 11 | 1 |
| 5D | Finland | C | 2 | 3 | 6 | +5 | 11 | 4 |
| 6D | Slovenia | B | 2 | 3 | 4 | −4 | 8 | 15 |
| 7D | United States | B | 3 | 3 | 4 | −4 | 4 | 5 |
| 8D | Switzerland | A | 3 | 3 | 3 | +1 | 10 | 7 |
| 9D | Germany | C | 3 | 3 | 2 | −3 | 4 | 8 |
| 10D | Slovakia | B | 4 | 3 | 4 | −1 | 6 | 11 |
| 11D | Norway | C | 4 | 3 | 1 | −9 | 2 | 9 |
| 12D | South Korea | A | 4 | 3 | 0 | −13 | 1 | 21 |

## Playoff round
### Bracket

| Playoffs | Playoffs | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | | Semifinals | Semifinals | Gold medal game | Gold medal game |
| | | 21 February | 21 February | | | | |
| | | Czech Republic (GWS) | 3 | | | |
| 20 February | 20 February | | Czech Republic (GWS) | 3 | | | |
| 20 February | 20 February | United States | 2 | | | |
| United States | 5 | United States | 2 | | | |
| United States | 5 | | | | 23 February | 23 February | |
| Slovakia | 1 | | | | 23 February | 23 February |
| Slovakia | 1 | | | | Czech Republic | 0 |
| | | | | | Olympic Athletes from Russia | 3 |
| | | 21 February | 21 February | | | | |
| | | Olympic Athletes from Russia | 6 | | | |
| 20 February | 20 February | | Olympic Athletes from Russia | 6 | | | |
| 20 February | 20 February | Norway | 1 | | | |
| Slovenia | 1 | Norway | 1 | | | |
| Slovenia | 1 | | | | | | 25 February | 25 February |
| Norway (OT) | 2 | | | | | | 25 February | 25 February |
| Norway (OT) | 2 | | | | | | Olympic Athletes from Russia (OT) | 4 |
| | | | | | | | Germany | 3 |
| | | 21 February | 21 February | | | | | |
| | | Canada | 1 | | | | | |
| 20 February | 20 February | | Canada | 1 | | | | | |
| 20 February | 20 February | Finland | 0 | | | | | |
| Finland | 5 | Finland | 0 | | | | | |
| Finland | 5 | | | | 23 February | 23 February | | | |
| South Korea | 2 | | | | 23 February | 23 February | | |
| South Korea | 2 | | | | Canada | 3 | | |
| | | | | | Germany | 4 | Bronze medal game | Bronze medal game |
| | | 21 February | 21 February | | | | 24 February | 24 February |
| | | Sweden | 3 | | | | Czech Republic | 4 |
| 20 February | 20 February | | Sweden | 3 | | | | Czech Republic | 4 |
| 20 February | 20 February | Germany (OT) | 4 | | | | Canada | 6 |
| Switzerland | 1 | Germany (OT) | 4 | | | | Canada | 6 |
| Germany (OT) | 2 | | | | | | | |

### Qualification playoffs

The four highest-ranked teams (1D–4D) received byes and were deemed the home team in the quarterfinals as they were seeded to advance, with the remaining eight teams (5D–12D) playing qualification playoff games as follows. The losers of the qualification playoff games received a final ranking of 9 through 12 based on their preliminary round ranking.

### Quarterfinals

Following the quarterfinal games, the winning teams were re-ranked F1 through F4, with the winner of 1D vs. E4 re-ranked as F1, the winner of 2D vs. E3 re-ranked as F2, the winner of 3D vs. E2 re-ranked as F3, and the winner of 4D vs. E1 re-ranked as F4. The losers of the quarterfinal round games received a final ranking of 5 through 8 based on their preliminary round ranking.

### Gold medal game
## Final ranking

| Pos | Grp | Team | Pld | W | OTW | OTL | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Final result |
| 1 | B | Olympic Athletes from Russia | 6 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 27 | 9 | +18 | 14 | Champions |
| 2 | C | Germany | 7 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 17 | 18 | −1 | 10 | Runners-up |
| 3 | A | Canada | 6 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 21 | 12 | +9 | 13 | Third place |
| 4 | A | Czech Republic | 6 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 16 | 15 | +1 | 10 | Fourth place |
| 5 | C | Sweden | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 11 | 5 | +6 | 10 | Eliminated in Quarter-finals |
| 6 | C | Finland | 5 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 16 | 9 | +7 | 9 | Eliminated in Quarter-finals |
| 7 | B | United States | 5 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 11 | 12 | −1 | 8 | Eliminated in Quarter-finals |
| 8 | C | Norway | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 18 | −13 | 3 | Eliminated in Quarter-finals |
| 9 | B | Slovenia | 4 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 14 | −5 | 5 | Eliminated in Qualification playoffs |
| 10 | A | Switzerland | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 11 | 11 | 0 | 4 | Eliminated in Qualification playoffs |
| 11 | B | Slovakia | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 12 | −5 | 4 | Eliminated in Qualification playoffs |
| 12 | A | South Korea (H) | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 19 | −16 | 0 | Eliminated in Qualification playoffs |

## Statistics
### Scoring leaders

List shows the top ten skaters sorted by points, then goals.
| Player | GP | G | A | Pts | +/− | PIM | POS |
| Nikita Gusev | 6 | 4 | 8 | 12 | +7 | 4 | F |
| Kirill Kaprizov | 6 | 5 | 4 | 9 | +7 | 2 | F |
| Eeli Tolvanen | 5 | 3 | 6 | 9 | +1 | 4 | F |
| Ilya Kovalchuk | 6 | 5 | 2 | 7 | +5 | 4 | F |
| Patrick Hager | 7 | 3 | 4 | 7 | –3 | 4 | F |
| Maxim Noreau | 6 | 2 | 5 | 7 | +3 | 0 | D |
| Derek Roy | 6 | 2 | 5 | 7 | –2 | 8 | F |
| Linus Omark | 4 | 0 | 7 | 7 | +6 | 0 | F |
| Ryan Donato | 5 | 5 | 1 | 6 | –1 | 2 | F |
| Jan Muršak | 4 | 3 | 3 | 6 | –1 | 0 | F |

### Leading goaltenders

Only the top five goaltenders, based on save percentage, who have played at least 40% of their team's minutes, are included in this list.
| Player | TOI | GA | GAA | SA | Sv% | SO |
| Jonas Hiller | 211:19 | 4 | 1.14 | 91 | 95.60 | 1 |
| Vasily Koshechkin | 348:08 | 8 | 1.38 | 126 | 93.65 | 2 |
| Mikko Koskinen | 296:38 | 8 | 1.62 | 117 | 93.16 | 0 |
| Gašper Krošelj | 188:44 | 6 | 1.91 | 87 | 93.10 | 0 |
| Ben Scrivens | 149:17 | 4 | 1.61 | 56 | 92.86 | 0 |
TOI = Time on ice (minutes:seconds); SA = Shots against; GA = Goals against; GAA = Goals against average; Sv% = Save percentage; SO = Shutouts Source: IIHF.com

## Awards

* Media All-Stars
** Goaltender: Vasily Koshechkin
** Defencemen: Maxim Noreau, Vyacheslav Voynov
** Forwards: Ilya Kovalchuk, Pavel Datsyuk, Eeli Tolvanen
* Most Valuable Player: Ilya Kovalchuk
* Best players selected by the directorate:
** Best Goaltender: Danny aus den Birken
** Best Defenceman: Vyacheslav Voynov
** Best Forward: Nikita Gusev
Source: IIHF.com