The world’s best are coming. The flags are ready. The debates are already unhinged.

On this special Winter Olympics preview episode, we look ahead to the ice in Milan–Cortina 2026, where hockey’s biggest nations will collide with gold on the line and history waiting to be written.

Will Canada reassert its dominance?

Can United States turn momentum into medals?

Or is another nation ready to crash the podium and steal the spotlight?

We break down:

• Gold medal favorites and dark-horse contenders

• International rosters and star power

• What style of hockey wins in the Olympic pressure cooker

• Which nation leaves Milan-Cortina with bragging rights — and which leaves with regrets

It’s global hockey. Maximum stakes. And opinions that absolutely will not stay neutral.

Post Whistle is officially on the ice.

This is the regular-season home for NHL talk from the Playoff Beards crew — the place where trends are spotted early, rosters are debated loudly, and opinions absolutely refuse to go quietly into the locker room.

On the very first episode of Post Whistle, Snark and Ryan set the tone by diving into the international stage, where the future and present of hockey collide:

• A breakdown of the Olympic hockey rosters for Milan–Cortina 2026 — who made it, who got snubbed, and which teams look terrifying before the puck even drops

• A full recap of the 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship, capped by Sweden winning the gold

This is where the season begins. No playoff beards yet — just fresh ice, sharp takes, and arguments that will absolutely resurface in April.

Welcome to Post Whistle — because the game doesn’t end when the horn sounds.