The NHL regular season might be paused for the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics, but the hockey world is spinning faster than ever this Wednesday, February 18, 2026. While the world’s elite players battle for gold in Italy, NHL general managers are aggressively working the phones ahead of the rapidly approaching March 6th NHL trade deadline. From jaw-dropping contract terminations to intense international rivalries, we are breaking down the biggest NHL news and Olympic updates of the day.
Olympic Hockey Scores: February 17, 2026 Results & Notes
The Men’s Olympic Ice Hockey qualification playoffs delivered massive thrills yesterday as teams fought to keep their medal hopes alive. Here are the official scores from February 17, 2026:
- Germany 5, France 1: Leon Draisaitl dominated the ice, registering a goal and two assists to propel the Germans into the quarterfinals against Slovakia.
- Switzerland 3, Italy 0: Nico Hischier and Roman Josi led a clinical Swiss attack, while Leonardo Genoni pitched a 20-save shutout to eliminate the host nation.
- Czechia 3, Denmark 2: Martin Necas and Roman Cervenka secured the narrow victory, setting up a heavyweight quarterfinal clash with Team Canada.
- Sweden 5, Latvia 1: The Swedes rolled over Latvia thanks to a combined offensive clinic from Lucas Raymond, William Nylander, and Mika Zibanejad.
Breaking NHL News & Trade Rumors
Back in North America, the NHL news cycle is on fire. The biggest shocker today comes out of California, where the San Jose Sharks have officially terminated the contract of veteran winger Jeff Skinner after he cleared unconditional waivers. The 33-year-old is now a pending Unrestricted Free Agent (UFA). Any Stanley Cup contender looking for secondary scoring will be closely monitoring his situation before the trade deadline.
Meanwhile, the Boston Bruins are actively hunting for blue-line upgrades. Reports indicate Boston’s front office has circled three major targets to bolster the right side of their defense: St. Louis’s Justin Faulk, Calgary’s Zach Whitecloud, and the Rangers’ Braden Schneider.
In injury updates, Montreal Canadiens forward Patrik Laine is sidelined once again, listed as day-to-day with a lower-body injury. On the Olympic side, Team USA is making a bold roster move today, with sniper Kyle Connor expected to be a healthy scratch in their high-stakes quarterfinal game against Sweden.
Finding the latest NHL news and rumors
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