The ice hockey competitions of the 2026 Winter Olympics will be played at two venues located in the Milan cluster: the PalaItalia and one of the Fiera Milano pavilions.

[1] Russia and Belarus are currently banned from competing in international championships through the IIHF's 2025 program due to their military aggression in Ukraine.

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

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

[1] The groups were established following the 2023 Men's Ice Hockey World Championships.