play1:16USA men’s hockey faces challenging road aheadGreg Wyshynski breaks down the U.S. men’s hockey team’s potential path to Olympic gold.
USA men’s hockey preparing for quarterfinals game (0:58)Emily Kaplan details Team USA men’s hockey’s preparations for the quarterfinal game. (0:58)
USA men’s hockey faces challenging road aheadGreg Wyshynski breaks down the U.S. men’s hockey team’s potential path to Olympic gold.
ESPN staffFeb 18, 2026, 01:15 PM ETMultiple Authors
Sunday was the final preliminary day of the men’s ice hockey tournament at the 2026 Olympics in Milan Cortina. Tuesday was the qualification round, which played out like so:
With the field now down to eight teams, it’s time for the quarterfinals, all of which are taking place on Wednesday:
Read on for the schedule of games for the day, leading goal scorers and goaltenders, along with the latest Olympic men’s hockey headlines.
Greg Wyshynski breaks down the U.S. men’s hockey team’s potential path to Olympic gold.
Toss in the United States on a more modest puckline versus a Swedish side that sports questionable goaltending and hasn’t shown signs of gelling until Tuesday’s win over Latvia. Forecasting a potential empty-net goal in what could be a tighter affair, this pro-North-American two-pick parlay strikes as more than reasonable.
Competing on a line with Auston Matthews and Jake Guentzel, and USA’s secondary power play, Boldy logged more minutes (17:16) than any other forward in Sunday’s 5-1 win over Germany. The Wild winger also led his squad, rather comfortably, with eight shots fired on net, following up his previous total of five against Denmark.
After beating the Czechs in convincing 5-0 fashion to open the tournament, Canada is once again favored to pile up points against a squad that lacks superstar power after David Pastrnak. Lukas Dostal serves as the greatest X factor for the underdogs, in that a quality goaltender can wreak miserly havoc, on any given day, when in superior form. Still, weighing the absurd amount of talent on the Canadian side versus a Czech team that appears somewhat fragmented and frustrated, Jon Cooper’s crew threatens to slide into the semis without too much issue.
Sometimes the unquantifiable appeals most when considering an offer in play. For instance, it feels like Thompson won’t fully forgive Team USA for leaving him off last winter’s Four Nations squad until he returns to American soil with a medal around his neck. Then there are the more measurable sell points: Skating on a line with Dylan Larkin and (now) Clayton Keller, Thompson scored a power-play goal against Latvia to open the tournament, and one at even-strength versus Germany to wrap the preliminary round. Perhaps most attractive of all, his spot on the United States’ top power play seems to be set in stone.
This is a wager on Connor Hellebuyck coming close to shutting out the Swedes, if not denying them altogether. After surrendering one goal to Latvia in the tournament opener, Helleburck was perfect outside of a single from Germany’s Tim Stutzle in wrapping up the preliminary round. Behind the strongest defensive corps in the tournament, Hellebuyck stands a fighting chance at serving stingy against a Swedish side that’s appeared largely flat until Tuesday. For what it’s worth, Team Sweden Under 0.5 Goals is valued at +900.
USA men’s hockey preparing for quarterfinals game (0:58)Emily Kaplan details Team USA men’s hockey’s preparations for the quarterfinal game. (0:58)
Jump ahead: Group standings Wednesday’s games Best bets Stat leaders
No. 3 Slovakia 6, No. 6 Germany 2 No. 1 Canada 4, No. 8 Czechia 3 (OT) No. 4 Finland vs. No. 5 Switzerland, 12:10 p.m. | Peacock No. 2 USA vs. No. 7 Sweden, 3:10 p.m. | NBC/Peacock
Notes: Odds by DraftKings Sportsbook, subject to change
Two-pick parlay +320: (Canada -3.5, +110; United States -1.5, +100)
Czechia loses injured Bruins center Zacha for Games
Emily Kaplan details Team USA men’s hockey’s preparations for the quarterfinal game. (0:58)
ESPN staffFeb 18, 2026, 01:15 PM ETMultiple Authors
U.S. stays unbeaten, is No. 2 seed for knockout round