2026 Winter Olympics Ice Hockey: Semifinal Day Set — Canada vs Finland, USA vs Slovakia and Split Staff Predictions

2026 Winter Olympics Ice Hockey reaches the semifinal stage with Team Canada facing Team Finland at 10: 40 a. m. ET and Team Slovakia meeting Team USA at 3: 10 p. m. ET. A group of eight writers and editors covering the Olympics assembled semifinal predictions that offer contrasting views on which teams will advance to the gold-medal game.

2026 Winter Olympics Ice Hockey semifinal schedule

Friday sees the final four in the men's tournament play two semifinals. The scheduled times (ET) are:

• Canada vs Finland — 10: 40 a. m. ET
• Slovakia vs USA — 3: 10 p. m. ET

The bracket advances quickly: the winners of these semifinals will meet for the gold-medal game on Sunday at 8: 10 a. m. ET, while the semifinal losers are slated to play for bronze on Saturday at 2: 40 p. m. ET. Schedule is presented as published and is subject to change.

Staff predictions and key player themes

The group of writers and editors provided reasoned takes that fall into a few clear themes. One cluster of predictions favors Canada, citing depth and defensive tightness that could stymie Finland. Those rationales name veteran leadership and dynamic offensive talent as factors that could push Canada into the final.

Countering that view, several rationales highlight Finland's potential to win with strong goaltending and timely scoring. Goaltender performance is singled out as a decisive element — keep Finland's offense contained and exceptional netminding could swing the matchup.

On the other side of the bracket, many predictions lean toward Team USA over Slovakia, pointing to a deep blue line and multi-line balance as decisive advantages. Observers note particular impact from the U. S. defensive corps and supporting forwards as reasons the Americans could prevail in a full 60-minute effort.

Still, a number of the prognostications leave room for a Slovakian upset. Slovakia's tournament run and match-winning contributions from its leading forwards and goaltender are presented as the foundation of a Cinderella narrative capable of toppling a favored opponent.

What to watch in each semifinal

• Canada vs Finland: Watch whether goaltending can neutralize Canada's scoring depth and whether Canada's defensive structure can limit Finland to only a handful of goals. Individual offensive talent and leadership are highlighted as potential game-changers.
• Slovakia vs USA: Monitor how the U. S. blue line handles sustained pressure and whether Slovakia's top attackers and goaltending can produce an upset. Depth and four-line deployment are emphasized as possible deciding factors.

The semifinals set up a compact, high-stakes weekend: winners advance to the gold-medal game on Sunday morning ET, and losers regroup for a bronze-medal showdown on Saturday afternoon ET. The published predictions underscore that goaltending, depth and pivotal individual performances will likely determine which two teams reach the final.

Final rosters and in-game developments will shape outcomes; the predictions reflect current assessments from the writing staff and are subject to change as game action unfolds.