Olympics
2026 Olympic
Hockey
LIVE
2m ago
Canada is the gold-medal favorite, but Team USA is a contender in its own right. Maddie Meyer / Getty Images
There’s a renewed sense of optimism surrounding the Team USA men’s hockey team. Building upon momentum set in motion at the 2025 4 Nations Face-Off, the United States looks well-equipped to compete for its first medal since 2010 — and first gold since 1980’s Miracle on Ice.
Canada enters as the favorite, but the U.S. isn’t prepared to settle for second this time around. Team USA’s first preliminary matchup will come against Latvia on Thursday, Feb. 12, one day after the official start of the tournament. Two more prelims will follow before the playoffs begin Tuesday, Feb. 17, with everything leading to a matinee gold-medal game on Sunday, Feb. 22.
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For the first time since the 2014 Games, current NHL players are allowed to compete in the Olympics, giving the U.S. a stacked roster. Twenty-one of the 25 players return from the 4 Nations Face-Off team. Notable names include Quinn Hughes, Connor Hellebuyck, Jack Eichel, Auston Matthews and brothers Brady and Matthew Tkachuk — a star-studded assembly of virtually all of the NHL’s best American athletes.
Some decisions were not without scrutiny (where is Jason Robertson?), but U.S. general manager Bill Guerin has insisted that the intricacies of building a team can sometimes override individual talent.
It’s hard-nosed, team-focused hockey that will give the United States its best chance to win gold, and it starts in the preliminary rounds. Placed in Group C alongside Germany, Latvia and Denmark, Team USA got a fairly decent draw. By winning the group, or being the highest-ranked non-group winner, it can receive a first-round bye and completely avoid the initial batch of elimination games.
From there, pressure mounts and the competition drastically improves. Canada is the United States’ biggest threat, but Sweden and Finland can’t be overlooked. Czechia could also cause chaos out of Group A. If things are chalky, though, we’ll likely be treated to another round of the meanest rivalry on ice — and perhaps with a gold medal on the line.
Team USA’s preliminary matchups will be shown on USA Network, with select quarterfinals and semifinals airing on either USA or NBC. Should the United States reach the gold-medal game, it’ll have a prime viewing window on NBC.
All times below are ET. Listings are subject to change.
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Thursday, Feb. 12
The game will re-air on USA at 11 p.m. Thursday.
Saturday, Feb. 14
The game will re-air on USA at 11 p.m. Saturday.
Sunday, Feb. 15
The game will re-air on USA at 11 p.m. Sunday.
Tuesday, Feb. 17
Wednesday, Feb. 18
Friday, Feb. 20
Saturday, Feb. 21
The bronze-medal game will re-air on CNBC at 7 p.m. and on USA at 11 p.m. Saturday.
Sunday, Feb. 22
The gold-medal game will re-air on USA at 4:30 p.m. Sunday.
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Garrett Chorpenning is a freelance streaming editor for The Athletic. A graduate of Ball State University, Garrett got his start covering the LA Clippers for FanSided and later Sports Illustrated before becoming the Lead NBA Editor for The Game Day.
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