Ice Hockey at the Olympic Games 2026: Schedule and Results as the Bracket Stage Begins

Mo. Basuony

Published: February 15, 2026 8:45 PM ET

Ice Hockey

Olympic ice hockey at Milano Cortina 2026 has reached the turning point where group-stage math gives way to single-elimination pressure. As of Monday, February 16, 2026 ET, the men’s tournament is set for qualification play-offs on Tuesday, while the women’s tournament is already at the semifinal stage later today. Below is a clean, ET-only guide to what has happened and what is next.

Men’s Olympic ice hockey results so far: group stage is complete

The men’s preliminary round finished Sunday, February 15 ET with Canada and the United States emerging as the top overall seeds, and with tight positioning in the middle of the field setting up win-or-go-home matchups.

Key group-stage results by day, all ET:

Wednesday, Feb 11

Slovakia 4, Finland 1
Sweden 5, Italy 2

Thursday, Feb 12

Switzerland 4, France 0
Canada 5, Czechia 0
United States 5, Latvia 1
Germany 3, Denmark 1

Friday, Feb 13

Finland 4, Sweden 1
Slovakia 3, Italy 2
Czechia 6, France 3
Canada 5, Switzerland 1

Saturday, Feb 14

Sweden 5, Slovakia 3
Finland 11, Italy 0
Latvia 4, Germany 3
United States 6, Denmark 3

Sunday, Feb 15

Switzerland 4, Czechia 3, overtime
Canada 10, France 2
Denmark 4, Latvia 2
United States 5, Germany 1

Men’s group winners and seeds going into the bracket phase

Canada: top overall seed
United States: second overall seed
Slovakia and Finland also secured byes into the quarterfinals

Men’s Olympic ice hockey schedule next: qualification play-offs Tuesday

There are no men’s games Monday, February 16 ET. The tournament resumes Tuesday, February 17 ET with four qualification play-offs. Winners advance to the quarterfinals.

Tuesday, Feb 17 ET

6:10 AM ET: Switzerland vs Italy
6:10 AM ET: Germany vs France
10:40 AM ET: Czechia vs Denmark
3:10 PM ET: Sweden vs Latvia

Quarterfinals follow on Wednesday, February 18 ET, with top seeds waiting to face the play-off winners.

Wednesday, Feb 18 ET

6:10 AM ET: Slovakia vs play-off winner
10:40 AM ET: Canada vs play-off winner
12:10 PM ET: Finland vs play-off winner
3:10 PM ET: United States vs play-off winner

Women’s Olympic ice hockey results so far: semifinals are set

The women’s tournament has already narrowed to four teams, and the semifinals are both scheduled for Monday, February 16 ET.

Women’s semifinal schedule, Monday, Feb 16 ET

10:40 AM ET: United States vs Sweden
3:10 PM ET: Canada vs Switzerland

Women’s medal games, Thursday, Feb 19 ET

8:40 AM ET: Bronze medal game
1:10 PM ET: Gold medal game

Behind the headline: why the Olympics hockey schedule suddenly feels faster

The group stage is where favorites can absorb a bad period and still recover over multiple games. The bracket stage is different: one cold goalie, one unlucky bounce, or one undisciplined penalty swing can erase an entire tournament plan.

That’s why the schedule compresses urgency:

Coaches shorten benches and lean harder on special teams.
Top seeds are rewarded with rest and matchup control, but also face the pressure of being expected to advance.
Middle seeds often play their most aggressive hockey, because there is no reason to conserve anything for “later.”

What to watch next: realistic triggers that decide medals

Men

Upset risk in the qualification round, especially in matchups where a top-heavy roster meets a team that plays a tight defensive structure.
The first quarterfinal day can flip the entire narrative if a top seed starts slow after time off.

Women

United States vs Sweden is a classic clash of pace and discipline, where early goals change everything.
Canada vs Switzerland is a test of whether Switzerland can keep the game low-event long enough to make it a one-shot finish.

If you want, tell me whether you care more about the men’s bracket or the women’s medal path, and I’ll lay out a simple “who plays whom if” roadmap in ET without any clutter.