Ice hockey at the 2006 Winter Olympics – Men's qualification


Qualification for the men's tournament at the 2006 Winter Olympics was determined through the IIHF World Ranking following the 2004 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships. The top eight teams in the World Ranking received automatic berths into the Olympics, Italy received a berth as the host, while all other teams had an opportunity to qualify for the remaining three spots in the Olympics through qualifying tournaments.

Qualified teams

;Notes

Qualification seeding

Qualifying seedTeamWC 2004
'
WC 2003
'
WC 2002
'
OLY 2002
'
WC 2001
Total
1120012001040120010603485
2116011601120106011203400
311001120120088010203235
4106011001060102012003225
5104010601100104011603195
611208801020116011003145
794010201160112010403105
896010401000100010002990
9100010009409209602920
1010209609209608802900
119209409009009202755
128609009609409402720
1378086080011008602590
149009207808407002575
158408208207408202440
168008408807008002420
178808007207807202410
188207807608607402400
7606808408009002315
197207608607607802295
207407407008208402265
216607207406406802060
227006606606606402015
236807005607206001995
6406406806807601990
246206206406005601845
255605805406205801720
265405005805406201630
275205205005804601565
60056060005401455
285006006206601425
294204604405604401375
5805405204001345
4404804805201170
4804204204801125
3804004605001035
460440320950
340380400420930
320360380380875
400320280360870
280340300340770
360300340755
300280360690
260260
240240

Three round-robins were played from 11 to 14 November 2004. The teams seeded 18th, 19th, and 20th reserved the right to host these tournaments. The winners of each advanced to the final qualification tournaments.

Group D

Games were played in Briançon, France.

Group E

Games were played in Nowy Targ, Poland.

Group F

Games were played in Stavanger, Norway.

Final Qualification Tournaments

Three round-robins were played from 10 to 13 February 2005. The teams seeded 9th, 10th and 11th reserved the right to host these tournaments. The three group winners qualified for the Olympic tournament.

Group A

Games were played in Kloten, Switzerland.

Group B

Games were played in Riga, Latvia.

Group C

Games were played in Klagenfurt, Austria.