Olympic Hockey Schedule 2026: Full Dates, Key Game Times, and Medal Rounds for Men’s and Women’s Tournaments

Mo. Basuony

Published: February 5, 2026 5:31 PM ET

Olympic Hockey Schedule 2026

Ice hockey at the 2026 Winter Olympics is split into two clean phases: the women’s tournament runs first and finishes before the men’s tournament reaches the medal rounds. Everything is centered in Milan, and the daily rhythm is built around a handful of consistent start times. Below is a fan-friendly guide to the Olympic hockey schedule in USA Eastern Time.

The big picture: when Olympic hockey is played in 2026

Women’s Olympic hockey

Tournament dates: February 5 to February 19, 2026 ET
Preliminary round: February 5 to February 10 ET
Quarterfinals: February 13 to February 14 ET
Semifinals: February 16 ET
Medal games: February 19 ET

Men’s Olympic hockey

Tournament dates: February 11 to February 22, 2026 ET
Preliminary round begins: February 11 ET
Knockout rounds begin: February 17 ET
Medal games: February 21 to February 22 ET

Women’s Olympic hockey schedule: the days that shape the bracket

The women’s tournament begins February 5 ET, before the Opening Ceremony, and it’s already had a significant scheduling wrinkle: Canada vs. Finland was postponed due to illness and rescheduled.

Key women’s games and round dates (all times ET)

Thu, Feb 5: Opening day of tournament play
Sat, Feb 7: USA vs. Finland at 10:40 AM ET
Tue, Feb 10: Canada vs. USA at 2:10 PM ET (the marquee preliminary matchup)
Thu, Feb 12: Finland vs. Canada at 8:30 AM ET (rescheduled game)
Fri, Feb 13 to Sat, Feb 14: Quarterfinals
- Typical start windows: 10:40 AM ET and 3:10 PM ET
Mon, Feb 16: Semifinals
- 10:40 AM ET and 3:10 PM ET
Thu, Feb 19: Medal games
- Bronze: 8:40 AM ET
- Gold: 1:10 PM ET

Behind the headline: why the women’s schedule matters
The women’s format rewards strong group play, but it also creates a pressure cooker late: the quarterfinals and semifinals come fast, and one off night ends the run. The postponement also adds a subtle second-order effect: extra rest can help a team recover physically, but it can also disrupt the competitive rhythm that top teams prefer.

Men’s Olympic hockey schedule: opening day, knockout rounds, medals

The men’s tournament starts February 11 ET and builds toward a weekend finish. This is also where the biggest-name star storyline lands: Sidney Crosby is on Canada’s roster, giving the tournament a familiar anchor for casual fans and a leadership headline for Canada’s locker room.

Men’s schedule highlights (all times ET)

Wed, Feb 11: Tournament begins
- Slovakia vs. Finland at 10:40 AM ET
- Sweden vs. Italy at 3:10 PM ET
Tue, Feb 17 to Wed, Feb 18: Knockout rounds begin
- Common start windows: 6:10 AM ET, 10:40 AM ET, 2:10 PM ET, 3:10 PM ET
Fri, Feb 20: Semifinals
- 10:40 AM ET and 3:10 PM ET
Sat, Feb 21: Bronze medal game at 2:40 PM ET
Sun, Feb 22: Gold medal game at 8:10 AM ET

Behind the headline: what the men’s schedule is really designed to do
The structure is built to maximize high-stakes games late, while keeping the preliminary round compact enough that contenders can’t sleepwalk into the bracket. The incentive is obvious: medal rounds deliver the biggest audiences, and a tight knockout window increases urgency. The tradeoff is fatigue management, especially for teams that play intense, heavy forechecking styles.

What to watch next: realistic schedule-driven storylines

Upset pressure in the quarterfinals
Trigger: a top seed draws a hot goalie and gets pulled into a one-goal grind.
The rivalry games become de facto seeding battles
Trigger: Canada vs. USA in women’s play sets bracket paths and changes who avoids the toughest quarterfinal.
A short-rest semifinal hangover
Trigger: overtime in a quarterfinal bleeds into a flatter performance in the next round.
A veteran leadership spotlight
Trigger: Canada leans on Crosby’s experience as games tighten and special teams decide outcomes.
Illness and travel logistics shape the margins
Trigger: teams deal with disrupted routines, and depth becomes the quiet advantage.