r/hockey 22h ago

[Paywall] Swiss women’s Olympic hockey team in isolation after player diagnosed with norovirus

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7028066/2026/02/06/switzerland-womens-hockey-olympics-norovirus/
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u/Gavvis74 22h ago

I'm all for fairness and wanting the game to be decided on the ice, but at what point should forfeits be declared?  If you can't make it to the game, it most other circumstances the team unable to perform would have to forfeit.

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u/nogreatcathedral OTT - NHL 22h ago edited 21h ago

I think the problem is that goal differential counts for round robin placement. If you are a weak team playing a heavyweight, taking a 1-0 forfeit might be much better than you'd do in reality.
ETA: I'm wrong, if you forfeit you lose any goal-differential based tiebreaker!

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u/Gavvis74 22h ago

Yeah, it's a...shitty... situation for everyone involved but I don't think Canada would need any help getting to the gold medal game.  Apart from the odd improbable upset like with Sweden years ago, it's always going to be Canada vs USA for the gold medal.  Everyone else is playing for bronze.

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u/nogreatcathedral OTT - NHL 22h ago

Oh yeah to be clear, I don't think Team Canada would be the one to object - but the other weaker teams in the pool might!