Ice hockey at the 2018 Winter Olympics

Lore & Background

The tournaments were played at two venues originally scheduled for completion in 2016 but finished in early 2017. The men's tournament used a format identical to 2010 and 2014, with three groups of four followed by elimination rounds. The women's tournament followed the 2014 format, with group A and group B seeding. The women's tournament notably included a combined Korean team, a historic arrangement.

Reader's Guide

The 2018 Winter Olympic ice hockey tournaments are significant for the absence of NHL players, marking the first time since 1998 that active NHL players were not available. The NHL cited cost disputes over player insurance and restrictions on promoting participation. European leagues largely accommodated Olympic breaks, while the NHL did not. The combined Korean women's team represented a diplomatic milestone. Attendance figures show the men's tournament averaged 4,610 spectators per game and the women's 3,889, with Korea drawing the highest attendance in the men's tournament and the United States in the women's.

Did You Know?

• The Gangneung Hockey Centre seats 10,000 and the Kwandong Hockey Centre seats 6,000.
• The women's tournament featured a combined Korean team with an expanded roster.
• NHL players were not made available for selection for the first time since 1998.
• The men's tournament had 138,327 total spectators across 30 games.