Switzerland Secures Quarterfinal Spot with Dominating Win Over Italy

Rho Arena witnessed a commanding performance by Team Switzerland on Tuesday, as they defeated Team Italy 3-0 to advance to the quarterfinals of the men’s hockey tournament at the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026. The victory was largely thanks to a standout performance from forward Nico Hischier, who contributed a goal and two assists.

Philipp Kurashev and Roman Josi also found the back of the net for Switzerland, while goaltender Leonardo Genoni delivered a stellar shutout, stopping all 20 shots he faced. This marks Genoni’s second shutout in three starts at these Olympics, having conceded only three goals in total.

Hischier’s Impact and Team Focus

“Feels good. It’s great to contribute to help my team win,” said Hischier, highlighting his commitment to the team’s success. “Finally, one went in, but the other games I feel had a lot of chances, but we scored there, too, so I didn’t need it there. So, we won the games… I’m all in for the team and put my personal things aside.”

Switzerland, finishing as the No. 5 seed after the preliminary round, now faces a challenging quarterfinal matchup against Team Finland on Wednesday (12:10 p.m. ET; Peacock, ICI Télé, CBC Gem, SN). The Swiss team is aiming to secure their first Olympic medal in men’s hockey since earning bronze at the 1948 St. Moritz Games.

Looking Ahead to the Finland Match

“I think they’re overall very disciplined,” Hischier commented on Finland. “Smart hockey team, and it’s not going to be easy, but I’m confident in our group, and we’re a good team too.”

Italy, unfortunately, concluded their Olympic journey with four losses, having not secured a win at the Olympics since Nagano in 1998. Despite the defeat, Italian forward Alexander Petan expressed pride in his team’s effort. “We’ve been battling hard for a couple of weeks now, and we laid it all out the best we could,” Petan told the IIHF website. “We had a couple chances to maybe make the game a little more interesting midway through, but it didn’t go in for us. But I’m still pretty proud of our group today and all the best to Switzerland.”

Game Highlights and Key Performances

• Kurashev opened the scoring for Switzerland at 1:19 of the first period.
• Josi extended the lead with a power-play goal at 10:25 of the first.
• Hischier added another power-play goal at 5:53 of the second period.

Damian Clara, Italy’s goaltender, was a standout performer, making an impressive 48 saves. However, Switzerland’s relentless attack proved too much to overcome.

Swiss Players Shine

Timo Meier contributed two assists, while Leonardo Genoni’s shutout solidified Switzerland’s victory. Meier now ties Jean-Jacques Aeschlimann for the most points by a Swiss player in a single Olympics with NHL participation (6 points). Hischier tied Roman Wick for the most points in a game by a Switzerland player in an Olympics involving NHL players.

The Swiss team will need to maintain this momentum as they prepare for their quarterfinal clash against Finland. With a strong team spirit and key players performing at their best, Switzerland is poised to make a deep run in the tournament.

For more in-depth coverage of the Men’s Hockey action at the Olympic Winter Games, visit NHL.com.