Olympic hockey schedule: Men’s tournament opens Feb. 11 as Canada, Team USA arrive loaded

Men’s hockey at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics begins Wednesday, Feb. 11, marking the return of the sport’s biggest stars to the Games and kicking off an 11-day sprint from group play to the gold medal game. The schedule is packed: three groups of four teams, a qualification playoff round, then a straight knockout bracket that ends Sunday, Feb. 22.

All times below are Eastern Time (ET).

Men’s hockey Olympic schedule at a glance

The tournament starts with a Feb. 11 doubleheader and quickly ramps into four-game days during group play. After a brief gap on Feb. 16, the bracket phase begins with qualification playoffs on Feb. 17, quarterfinals on Feb. 18, semifinals on Feb. 20, then medals on Feb. 21–22.

Here are the key dates fans will circle:

Groups set the early roadmap

The men’s field is split into three groups:

• Group A: Canada, Czechia, France, Switzerland

• Group B: Finland, Italy, Slovakia, Sweden

• Group C: Denmark, Germany, Latvia, United States

Each team plays three group games. The top team in each group plus the best second-place team advance directly to the quarterfinals. The remaining eight teams move into qualification playoffs to fill the final four quarterfinal spots—meaning group placement matters, but a slow start doesn’t automatically end a medal run.

Team USA hockey: three group games, little margin

Team USA’s group stage begins Thursday, Feb. 12, and the cadence is unforgiving: three games in four days. That tight rhythm is where roster depth and special teams often decide seeding before the knockout rounds even start.

Team USA group games:

• Thu, Feb. 12 — 3:10 PM: USA vs. Latvia

• Sat, Feb. 14 — 3:10 PM: USA vs. Denmark

• Sun, Feb. 15 — 3:10 PM: USA vs. Germany

The U.S. will be looking to lock up a top-two position early to avoid the extra qualification playoff and to secure a cleaner quarterfinal path.

Canada and Sidney Crosby: familiar face, new push

Canada’s draw in Group A includes early measuring-stick matchups that can shape the quarterfinal bracket. Their group slate features:

• Thu, Feb. 12 — 10:40 AM: Canada vs. Czechia

• Fri, Feb. 13 — 3:10 PM: Canada vs. Switzerland

• Sun, Feb. 15 — 10:40 AM: Canada vs. France

Sidney Crosby is back in focus after being named Canada’s captain for these Games, a headline that underscores how seriously Canada is treating the return of best-on-best Olympic hockey. With short tournaments, leadership can matter as much as lines on paper—especially when one bad period can force a team into the qualification playoff round.

How the bracket phase typically swings the tournament

The qualification playoffs on Feb. 17 are where the “danger zone” begins: one loss and you’re out before the quarterfinals. By the time quarterfinals arrive on Feb. 18, the pressure flips from “manage the schedule” to “survive,” and the style of play tends to tighten—more conservative third periods, heavier emphasis on faceoffs and goaltending, and less tolerance for penalties.

One key rule wrinkle for fans to remember: the medal games do not end in a shootout. If it’s tied after regulation, it keeps going in overtime until there’s a winner.

Following the Olympic hockey schedule online

For the cleanest, confirmed times and results, rely on the official Games schedule-and-results hub and the tournament bracket view, which updates after every finished game. If you’re tracking live, double-check that you’re looking at men’s hockey (not women’s) and that the page has switched from “schedule” to “final” before treating a score as official.

Sources consulted: International Ice Hockey Federation, USA Hockey, Hockey Canada, NBC Los Angeles