Tre Kronor Faces Tough Road After Late Loss Dims Medal Hopes at Winter Olympics

Sweden's national ice hockey team, Tre Kronor, faced a critical setback in their 2026 Winter Olympics campaign after conceding a late goal to Slovakia, leading to a 5-3 defeat. The goal came with just 39 seconds remaining and followed a controversial penalty against Swedish forward Lucas Raymond, resulting in Tre Kronor finishing third in their group rather than securing the group victory.

This unexpected defeat complicates Sweden's path to an Olympic medal as they must now navigate a challenging knockout stage beginning with the round of 16. According to SVT's expert Håkan Loob, the path remains "manageable" but is ‘‘complicated,’’ particularly with the looming possibility of facing powerhouse teams like Canada or the USA in the quarterfinals, which represent significantly tougher hurdles.

Swedish defenseman Erik Karlsson expressed disappointment over the late goal, calling it "very unfortunate" and "a little tragic," underscoring the frustration within the team following the loss.

Tre Kronor will be hoping for favorable results to improve their knockout stage position, including an upset from Italy that could elevate Sweden to second place in their group. Nevertheless, these developments underscore the increasingly difficult road ahead for Sweden’s medal aspirations in the Olympic hockey tournament.