Each group winner received a bye into the second round, along with the highest ranked of the remaining teams.

The remaining eight teams played an eliminating qualification game to advance to the quarter-final round.

[4][5][6] On 10 July 2020, the National Hockey League Players' Association (NHLPA) and National Hockey League agreed to a renewed collective bargaining agreement, which includes a provision opening the possibility for the NHL to explore participation at the 2022 and 2026 Winter Olympics.

[6] Due to the lack of ice hockey talent in China, players had to be recruited from abroad.

[6] Qualifiers Czech Republic, Denmark, and Sweden, were the winners of the final qualification tournaments.