If you predicted ice hockey dominating the Winter Games rinks this year, you deserve a gold medal. Of the 3.84 million traditional, digital, and social media mentions about the 2026 Winter Games, 644,000, or 17%, were about ice hockey. By comparison, figure skating, which was also popular, only achieved 4% share of voice (SOV).
Fueled by elite play, high stakes, compelling human interest stories, and, of course, pop culture, ice hockey beat out dozens of other sports to capture global attention. In the end, Team USA got the gold in both the men’s and women’s tournaments, achieving generational and record-setting victories. But along the way, overlapping fan bases helped make the sport one of the most visible and buzzworthy of them all.
We used Explore+ to zero in on how ice hockey became a lightning rod for viewers and media outlets alike. From the NHL to Heated Rivalry, here’s what got the world talking about ice hockey during the 2026 Winter Games.
The NHL’s Comeback Dominated Ice Hockey Conversation
NHL players’ participation, a first since 2014, was a major driver of Olympic ice hockey discussion, accounting for 22% of all mentions and 20% of all engagement.
The NHL paused its regular season to accommodate 147 players, from all 32 teams, to represent 11 countries in the Games. And while that choice was a complex one, it paid off big for the league’s visibility on the world stage.
It's interesting to note that in our analysis of three key topics, discussion about the NHL in the Winter Games dominated on text-based social platforms that lend themselves to intra-community debate. For example, in comparison to mentions about injuries and diversity/representation, discussion related to the NHL accounted for:
- 86% SOV of Reddit mentions
- 90% SOV of Bluesky mentions
- 89% SOV of X mentions
Reddit in particular gave dedicated hockey fans the chance to connect with like-minded peers within the larger swirl of Olympics conversation. Chatter occurred both in general subreddits like r/hockey, but also in ones dedicated to the league like r/nhl, r/leafs, r/ColoradoAvalanche, and more. As a result, instead of competing with Winter Games conversation, the NHL was able to capture it, activating (and likely growing) its existing fanbases.
Women’s Hockey Conversation Reached Near Parity with Men’s
Women’s teams, players, and games generated 48% of Winter Games ice hockey conversation that distinguished between the men’s and women’s teams.
With near parity with men, the buzz about women’s teams supports the case for greater brand investment in pro women’s ice hockey worldwide. At the very least, the data points to existing and potential fans who want to see more diversity reflected on the ice.
For example, conversation about the men’s teams focused on the NHL, world records, and the USA-Canada rivalry. Conversation about the women’s teams, on the other hand, largely elevated stories about representation.
Laila Edwards generated about 2% of overall Winter Games hockey mentions. She became the first Black woman to score for and win a Winter Games medal with Team USA. Meanwhile, Hilary Knight, one of three out LGBTQ members of Team USA, generated 6.5% of mentions, making her one of the most influential individual athletes in the tournament.
Heated Rivalry Had Its Winter Games Moments
This TikTok from NBC New York linking Heated Rivalry with the Winter Games has generated over 642,000 engagement actions since it was posted on February 2, 2026.
Speaking of gay representation, Heated Rivalry hype carried over into the Winter Games. About 2% of the ice hockey mentions, and 7.5% of the engagement, were about the HBO Max/Crave series, with about three quarters of the discussion occurring on TikTok alone.
Notably, about 25% of the Heated Rivalry engagement was generated by content about the real-life romance between Sweden’s Anna Kjellbin and Finland’s player Ronja Savolainen. On social media, individual users and media outlets alike compared the engaged couple, on opposite sides of an historic ice hockey rivalry, to the main characters of the show.
Final Thoughts
Ice hockey generated significant discussion during the 2026 Winter Games, and it was all thanks to overlapping, existing fan bases. NHL fans, women’s sports fans, Heated Rivalry fans, and more converged on the competition with the kind of intensity that niche sports institutions could only dream of.
As the NHL regular season and the IIHF Women's World Championship resume, excitement is high among ice hockey fans. For brands directly, or even tangentially, tied to the sport, now’s the time to tap into that moment.
FAQ: Ice Hockey at the 2026 Winter Games
How big was the conversation about the 2026 Winter Olympics, and where did it happen?
According to Meltwater, from February 6 to 22, across all traditional, digital, and social media sources, the Winter Olympics generated:
- 3.84 million mentions
- 861 million engagement actions
- 224 engagement actions per post
Together, these stats indicate strong audience investment and interaction.
Of the 3.84 million mentions about the Winter Olympics:
- 29% came from broadcast television
- 19% came from news sources
- 16% came from Reddit
- 12% came from X
This distribution demonstrates social media conversation’s strong presence alongside media coverage.
And of the 861 million engagement actions related to the Winter Olympics:
- 50% came from TikTok
- 31% came from Instagram
Overall, short-form video and image platforms were the places to be for keeping up with (and amplifying) Winter Olympics content.
How big was the conversation about ice hockey at the 2026 Winter Olympics?
With 644,000 mentions, ice hockey captured 17% of overall Winter Games conversation, according to a Meltwater analysis.
What drove ice hockey’s dominance of 2026 Winter Games discussion?
Meltwater’s Explore+ analysis identified that leading drivers included:
- the NHL’s return to Olympic participation
- strong engagement around women’s hockey
- crossover cultural buzz tied to Heated Rivalry
How did the NHL’s participation impact its visibility at the 2026 Winter Games?
Meltwater’s Explore+ analysis found that NHL-related discussion accounted for 22% of Winter Games ice hockey mentions and 20% of engagement. NHL social media conversation was well-represented on text-based platforms like Reddit, Bluesky, and X, where fan communities amplified debate and league visibility.
How big was the conversation around women’s hockey at the 2026 Winter Games?
Meltwater’s Explore+ analysis found that women’s hockey generated 48% of gender-specific ice hockey conversation, near parity with men’s teams.
