2026 Olympics: Women’s Hockey Team Analysis

The women’s crowns enter the 2026 Winter Olympics without expectations – but with significantly more confidence than in a long time. After years of setbacks, quarter-final exits and a life in Group B, Sweden now hopes that a new generation of offensive edge, more stable goaltending and a growing self-confidence will be enough to surprise the hockey world on the biggest stage of all, writes Tyler Kuehl in his analysis of the Swedish team.

This text is published on DailyFaceoff.com and has been translated into Swedish.

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Although they may not belong to the absolute “top tier”, there is great interest in the Women’s Crowns ahead of the 2026 Winter Olympics.

Sweden, which in recent years has been stuck in Group B in the major championships, has the potential to break the slump that has characterized the program since the pandemic. With a squad filled with talent from both the professional and college level, the Swedes come to Italy with a strong team. And while most eyes are on the sport’s powerhouses, the Scandinavian nation aims to surprise on the sport’s biggest stage.

Sweden may not be an obvious medal candidate in Milan for many, but that does not mean that the team should be counted out.

LOOKING BACK: 2022

After several years of setbacks, including relegation to the lower division in the WC, Sweden had a tough time in Beijing. The tournament opened with disappointments against Japan and the Czech Republic, but the team bounced back with wins against China and Denmark to finish third in Group B. The reward? An 11–0 loss to Canada. Eighth place was the Women’s Crowns’ worst Olympic result of all time and meant the second consecutive quarter-final exit.

It stood in stark contrast to Sweden’s previous Olympic successes. After a fifth-place finish in 1998, the team took bronze in Salt Lake City in 2002, followed by a memorable trip to the Olympic final in 2006. Sweden has reached the semifinals in four of seven Olympic tournaments, but the last time the team was in the top four was in 2014.

OFFENSIVE

Sweden has plenty of offensive threats throughout the forward side, with players in both North America and Europe.

One of the most well-known in the troupe is Lina Ljungblom. She has been a leading player in the national team for many years. After her fantastic tournament in WC 2023, she has had a harder time dominating internationally, but remains a solid two-way player. She got a late start to the 2025/26 PWHL season after missing Montreal Victoire’s first eight games due to glandular fever.

The other player in the PWHL is Sara Hjalmarsson. It took three years for the international veteran to be drafted into the league, but last year she was finally picked up by the Toronto Scepters. The HV71 product is yet to score in 15 games this season, but everyone knows how important she can be as an offensive threat in blue and yellow. The former Linköping HC captain led Sweden with six points in Beijing four years ago, and her five points in Olympic qualifying last season were crucial in securing a ticket to Milan.

The average viewer might shrug at the forward side since the team only has two PWHL players, but from the NCAA comes a trio of very intriguing names.

The poster name is Hilda Svensson, who has played in the A national team since she was 15 years old. At her WC breakthrough in 2023, she finished tied for first in the team’s internal scoring with eleven points in seven games. Her development has continued strong, resulting in a dominant debut season at Ohio State. In 26 games, Svensson has so far scored 15 goals and a total of 44 points, which places her tied for fifth in the NCAA’s scoring.

Josefin Bouveng and Thea Johansson are also big point producers for Minnesota and Minnesota Duluth, respectively. Bouveng has been a solid second scorer behind teammate and USA forward Abbey Murphy.

In addition to the North American players, there are several SDHL players who can deliver internationally. In a strong Brynäs IF, Hanna Thuvik has been brilliant with 35 points in 32 games, while Sofie Lundin averages one point per game in Frölunda HC. Ebba Hedqvist, who finished second in the shooting league at the World Cup last year with five goals in seven games, should also not be counted out.

BACK GAME

One of the factors that hurt Sweden in the WC last year was the absence of Maja Nylén Persson. Backen suffered a season-ending injury in March, which was felt when the team once again went out in the quarterfinals. Now Nylén Persson is back in full health and looks significantly safer this season in an improved New York Sirens.

She forms part of an experienced back side alongside Anna Kjellbin, who has played very well in her role with the Toronto Sceptres. The 31-year-old defenseman has shown great confidence in his second season in the PWHL, something that has paid off both offensively and defensively.

Among the tone-setting returnees from the 2022 Olympics are also veterans Linnea Andersson and Jessica Adolfsson, who for several years honed their game in the SDHL in parallel with national team assignments.

Two Ohio State players are also hoping to make an impact in their first Olympics. Mira Jungåker’s game has blossomed during her time under coach Nadine Muzzerall, while Jenna Raunio has made an immediate impact in her rookie season in college.

GOALKEEPERS

Since the Olympics four years ago, Emma Söderberg has been the Women’s Crowns’ first goalkeeper. Although the team has been outplayed at times, the Örnsköldsviks daughter has shown that she can steal games – even if it hasn’t been enough against the USA or Canada.

After a couple of tough seasons in the Boston Fleet, there were question marks about Söderberg’s form, so much so that last season she was the third goalkeeper. But the 27-year-old has found his way back home. In 16 games with SDE HF, she has a record of 12–4–0, with 1.74 goals conceded per game, 93.1 save percentage and two clean sheets. If the self-confidence carries over to the Olympics, it could become a concern for the other teams in Group B – and for whichever team they meet in the quarter-finals.

If Söderberg should fail, there is a strong alternative in Ebba Svensson Träff. Despite never playing in the WC, she has been very good in a weak Linköping team in recent seasons. This year, the 21-year-old is third in the SDHL in save percentage (93.3) and ninth in GAA (2.22), despite losing 23 of her 32 games.

MANAGEMENT STAFF

When the women’s program was in free fall, Ulf Lundberg stepped in and helped turn the tide. He took the team to the Olympics in Beijing and has been the national team captain during the last four World Cup tournaments. The 46-year-old coach has breathed new life into the national team and gradually reduced the distance to the top of the world – a position Sweden had a couple of decades ago.

The players’ faith in Lundberg is evident in the team’s efforts in recent years, and many hope his work will result in a respectable result in Milan next month.

BURNING QUESTION

Which Sweden will we see after the group stage?

Sweden has reached the finals in the last five major international tournaments, including the Olympics in China four years ago. But despite the positive signs the team has shown, they have repeatedly fallen against teams from Group A (although the loss to Canada in the 2023 World Cup came only after extra time). Even last year, when Sweden won Group B for the first time since 2016, they missed the chance to beat Finland in the quarter-finals.

There is no doubt that Sweden is good enough to make it to the quarterfinals, but whether the team can hold its own against – or even defeat – one of the powerhouses in women’s hockey remains to be seen. On paper, the talent is there to reach the semi-finals, but a lack of belief and confidence in crucial matches has been a hindrance so far.

FORECAST

I think Sweden, even though Germany may be strong this year, has enough offensive power to get through the tougher teams in their group and win Group B once again. Having said that, it will be difficult to get further than the quarter-finals if the opposition there is the Czech Republic or Finland.

But if Sweden can score a couple of early goals and get top performances from the goalkeeper in a win-or-lose game, a blowout wouldn’t surprise me.

WOMEN’S CROWNS OLYMPIC SQUAD 2026

Goalkeepers

Emma Söderberg
Ebba Svensson Meet
Tinder Holm

Backs

Anna Kjellbin
Mira Jungåker
Maja Nylén Persson
Ida Karlsson
Jenna Raunio
Jessica Adolfsson
Linnéa Andersson

Forwards

Hanna Olsson
Sofie Lundin
Josephine Bouveng
Lina Ljungblom
Hilda Svensson
Nicole Hall
Lisa Johansson
Hanna Thuvik
Ebba Hedqvist
Mira Hallin
Sara Hjalmarsson
Thea Johansson
Felizia Wikner Zienkiewicz

This is how the Women’s Crowns play in the 2026 Olympics

• Sweden-Germany, February 5 at 12:10
• Sweden-Italy, February 7 at 14:40
• France-Sweden, 8 February at 16:40
• Japan-Sweden, February 10 at 12:10 p.m