Overview
- Germany’s women beat France 3–2 in a shootout in Landshut to start their title defense and face Slovakia on Friday.
- Coach Jeff MacLeod is prioritizing cohesion and international reps for a largely settled women’s roster.
- The men begin Thursday against Latvia in what Kreis calls an Olympic casting, with roster places still contested and no guarantees for veterans.
- NHL participation at Milan raises the bar, and players such as Philipp Grubauer, Moritz Seider, Leon Draisaitl, Tim Stützle, Lukas Reichel and Nico Sturm are viewed as set for the Games.
- Tobias Rieder withdrew injured and was replaced by Parker Tuomie, and ex‑NHL forward Dominik Kahun traveled to compete for selection.