The US men's hockey team kicks off their 2026 Winter Olympics campaign tomorrow in Milano Cortina, Italy. With NHL stars like Auston Matthews leading the charge, all eyes are on Group C action starting February 12.

Upcoming Schedule

Their preliminary round features high-stakes matchups at Milano Santagiulia Arena (all times ET). Here's the confirmed lineup:

DateGameTime (ET)Broadcast
Thurs., Feb. 12Latvia vs. **USA**3:10 PMUSA Network
Sat., Feb. 14**USA** vs. Denmark3:10 PMUSA Network
Sun., Feb. 15**USA** vs. Germany3:10 PMUSA Network
[3][7][1] Playoffs kick in next: qualification on **Feb. 17** , quarterfinals **Feb. 18** , semis **Feb. 20** , with bronze/gold medals on **Feb. 21-22**. Games stream live on Peacock, with USA Network covering prelims.

Why It Matters Now

It's February 11, 2026—literally hours from puck drop against Latvia, the first NHL-powered US Olympic squad since 2014. Team USA, captained by Matthews with alternates like Matthew Tkachuk, aims to end a 46-year gold drought since the 1980 "Miracle on Ice." Group C foes (Latvia, Denmark, Germany) set up a tough path to medals.

Key Storylines

  • Roster Buzz : Loaded with NHL talent (e.g., Matthews, McAvoy), but no Kreider or Fox; Canada counters with McDavid, MacKinnon.
  • Trending Talk : Fans hype the US-Canada rivalry reboot; injury watches and rink quality debates dominate forums. Some speculate a US "B-team" could still medal.
  • Watch Tips : All prelims on USA Network/Peacock; medal games TBD but follow IIHF for live updates. No shootouts in finals—pure OT drama.

TL;DR : First game tomorrow (Feb. 12, 3:10 PM ET vs. Latvia)—don't miss it! Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.