Olympic Hockey Schedule Announced for 2026 Games in Milan

Milano, Italy — The International Ice Hockey Federation released the hockey tournament schedule for the 2026 Winter Olympics on Tuesday. The men’s and women’s competitions are set to showcase top talent starting in February.

The women’s hockey tournament kicks off on February 5, featuring the United States against Czechia and Canada against Finland in the opening games. The U.S. and Canada will meet in a highly anticipated rivalry matchup during the preliminary round on February 10, with the gold-medal game scheduled for February 19.

On the men’s side, the tournament begins the following day on February 6. Finland will take on Slovakia, while host Italy faces Sweden in their opening matches. In a notable absence, the U.S. will compete in a group without Russia, alongside Germany, Latvia, and Denmark. The U.S. begins its campaign against Latvia on February 12, the same day Canada will play Czechia.

U.S. general manager Bill Guerin expressed enthusiasm about the NHL players returning to the Olympics after an absence since 2014. “It’s great that the NHL players are back in the Olympics,” he said, emphasizing the significance of the event. “It’s the biggest sports stage in the world, and we’re all happy we’re back involved.”

For the men’s tournament, no teams will be eliminated in the group play stage, allowing the top four teams to advance to the quarterfinals. The remaining eight teams will enter a qualification round. The final game is slated for February 22, marking the conclusion of the Olympics just before the closing ceremony.

Following the schedule release, federations began announcing their rosters. The U.S. selected an all-skater lineup, featuring forwards Matthew Tkachuk, Brady Tkachuk, Auston Matthews, Jack Eichel, and defensemen Quinn Hughes and Charlie McAvoy.

Finland enters the tournament as the defending Olympic champion from the 2022 Beijing Games, while the Russians captured gold in 2018. Canada aims to continue its success after winning the last two Olympic tournaments involving NHL players. General manager Doug Armstrong expressed confidence in his team’s capabilities. “I know our group wants to go there and wants to put their best foot forward,” he said. “There’s no guarantees in this sport, but I know we’re going to go with the right attitude.”