Olympic Hockey Schedule and Team USA Hockey: What’s On Today, What’s Next, and Where Sidney Crosby Fits In

Olympic hockey is already delivering early storylines in Milano Cortina 2026, with the women’s tournament underway and the men’s tournament set to begin midweek. That split timing is driving most of the search confusion: fans looking for an “Olympic hockey schedule today” may be seeing women’s games now, while “Team USA hockey schedule” for the men’s side starts later.

Olympic hockey schedule today in ET

For Saturday, February 7, 2026, the women’s tournament has a full slate in U.S. Eastern Time:

• 6:10 a.m. ET: Germany vs Japan

• 8:40 a.m. ET: Sweden vs Italy

• 10:40 a.m. ET: USA vs Finland

• 3:10 p.m. ET: Switzerland vs Canada

If you’re checking scores live, this is the day’s key watch window: the U.S.-Finland matchup is an early tone-setter, and Canada’s game later in the afternoon is a spotlight game because it’s one of the tournament’s biggest draws.

USA hockey schedule at the 2026 Winter Olympics

The men’s tournament begins on Wednesday, February 11, 2026, with Team USA’s preliminary-round games starting the next day. The published Team USA men’s schedule lists:

• Thursday, February 12: Latvia vs USA — 3:10 p.m. ET

• Saturday, February 14: USA vs Denmark — 3:10 p.m. ET

• Sunday, February 15: USA vs Germany — 3:10 p.m. ET

After the group stage, the next game date depends on where the U.S. finishes in its group and whether it earns a direct quarterfinal berth or plays in the playoff round.

How the tournament format shapes the schedule

The men’s side is built to reward group winners and punish slow starts.

• Three preliminary groups

• Each group winner advances directly to the quarterfinals

• One additional team (the best non–group winner) also gets a quarterfinal bye

• Everyone else goes through an extra playoff round

That structure matters because a single early result can change the entire path: earn a bye and you reduce injury risk and travel strain; miss it and you add a must-win game before the bracket even begins.

Team USA hockey: what to watch for in the first three games

The U.S. path is usually defined by two questions: can they generate offense without taking risks that fuel odd-man rushes, and can their special teams win tight games?

In a short tournament, the “second-order” consequences come fast:

• A sloppy opener often forces lineup changes and shuffles chemistry

• A loss can turn game two into a pressure game

• A strong start can secure a bye and allow coaches to manage minutes and matchups

The practical takeaway for fans is simple: that February 12 game is more important than it looks, because it sets the leverage for the rest of the week.

Sidney Crosby and the Olympic storyline

Sidney Crosby is part of the central narrative on the men’s side because he represents continuity and credibility for Canada in a tournament designed to punish small mistakes. Even when the spotlight sits on younger superstars, Canada tends to lean on veterans to stabilize the early games: faceoffs, late-game shifts, bench tone, and the ability to handle momentum swings without forcing plays.

Why he matters beyond the hype is incentive-driven. Canada’s goal is not just to win games, but to avoid the type of chaotic group-stage stumble that creates a tougher bracket route. Crosby’s value in that context is less about highlight-reel moments and more about reducing variance.

Where to watch Olympic hockey

Because broadcast rights differ by country and the daily windows shift, the most reliable approach is:

• Use the official Olympic schedule for the date you care about

• Match the game time in ET to your local TV provider guide or the official streaming options available in your region

If you’re in the U.S., coverage is typically split between a primary broadcast channel, affiliated cable channels for live daytime games, and a streaming hub with live feeds and replays. The exact game-to-channel assignments can change daily.

What we still don’t know

A few things can still reshape the hockey calendar quickly:

• Illness or roster availability that forces lineup changes or postponements

• Tight travel and venue logistics in a multi-site Games setup

• Whether early upsets alter which matchups become “must-watch” before the medal rounds

What happens next

Over the next four days, expect the women’s standings to clarify quickly as the top contenders separate, while anticipation builds for men’s puck drop on February 11. The moment the men’s tournament begins, the schedule will feel relentless: short rest, limited practice time, and bracket math driving decisions.

If you tell me whether you want the men’s schedule, women’s schedule, or both, I can lay out a clean day-by-day viewing plan in ET for the next week.