The Olympic ice‑hockey tournaments at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Games run across two overlapping windows:

  • Women’s hockey : February 5–19, 2026
  • Men’s hockey : February 11–22, 2026

All games are held in and around Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, as part of the broader Winter Olympics program.

Quick dates at a glance

  • Women’s opening day : February 5, 2026 (first games start early‑February).
  • Women’s gold‑medal game : February 19, 2026.
  • Men’s opening day : February 11, 2026 (first match Slovakia vs Finland).
  • Men’s medal rounds :
    • Semifinals: February 20, 2026.
* Bronze‑medal game: **February 21, 2026**.

* Gold‑medal game: **February 22, 2026**.

Tournament structure (men’s)

  • Group stage : 12 teams in three groups; each plays three preliminary games from Feb 11–15.
  • Knockout rounds :
    • Qualification playoffs: Feb 17.
* Quarterfinals: **Feb 18**.

* Semifinals: **Feb 20**.

* Medal games: **Feb 21–22**.

Women’s vs men’s timing

Tournament| First games| Medal‑round start| Gold‑medal game
---|---|---|---
Women’s| Feb 5, 2026 54| Mid‑February (semifinals) 4| Feb 19, 2026 5
Men’s| Feb 11, 2026 13| Feb 17 (play‑in), Feb 18 (QF) 3| Feb 22, 2026 13

How to watch (context)

  • Games are broadcast on Olympic‑rights‑holding networks in each country (e.g., NBC/Peacock in the U.S., CBC/TSN‑style outlets in Canada), plus streaming via official Olympic and league‑partner platforms.
  • Because of time‑zone differences, many early‑morning games in Europe air in primetime evening slots in North America, which is a frequent topic in hockey‑fan forums.

If you tell me your country or time zone, I can translate a few key dates (like the gold‑medal games) into your local clock.