2026 Winter Olympics Men’s Hockey Quarterfinals Set: A Preview
MILAN – The quarterfinals for the 2026 Winter Olympics men’s hockey tournament are underway, with the final matchups promising exciting contests. Eight teams remain in contention for a medal at the Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena.
Quarterfinal Schedule – February 18, 2026
The top four seeds – Canada, USA, Slovakia and Finland – earned byes directly into the quarterfinals. The remaining teams (Switzerland, Germany, Sweden, and Czechia) competed in qualification games on February 17th to secure their spots.
Canada vs. Czechia – 10:40 a.m. ET
Canada, dominant in the preliminary round with a +17 goal differential, faces Czechia. Connor McDavid leads the Canadian offense with nine points in three games, even as captain Sidney Crosby provides experienced leadership.1 Czechia aims to challenge Canada after a qualifying win against Denmark. David Pastrnak emphasized the need for a stronger performance and confidence against a formidable opponent.
Prediction: Canada
USA vs. Sweden – 3:10 p.m. ET
The United States, boasting the tournament’s best overall depth, takes on Sweden. The Americans are expected to have a goaltending advantage. Sweden has struggled for consistency, with sluggish starts and underwhelming performances against Italy, and Finland.3 Sweden coach Sam Hallam acknowledged the challenge and the opportunity to learn from playing a strong U.S. Team.
Prediction: USA
Slovakia vs. Germany – 6:10 a.m. ET
Germany, boosted by a solid qualification game performance against France, will face Slovakia, led by Juraj Slafkovsky. Germany’s Moritz Seider highlighted the team’s improved effort and the importance of speed and puck movement. Germany has key players like Leon Draisaitl and Tim Stützle. 4
Prediction: Germany
Finland vs. Switzerland – 12:10 p.m. ET
Finland, after a loss to Slovakia in their opener, rebounded with strong performances against Sweden and Italy. Switzerland secured their quarterfinal berth with wins over France and Italy, and an overtime victory against Czechia. The Finns are favored due to their superior goaltending.
Prediction: Finland
Tournament Format
The 12 teams were divided into three groups of four. Teams played a round-robin format within their groups, earning three points for a regulation win, two for an overtime win, one for an overtime/shootout loss, and zero for a regulation loss. 3
The top four teams – the group winners and the best second-place team – received a bye to the quarterfinals. Teams ranked 5th through 12th competed in a qualification round to determine the remaining quarterfinalists.
Where to Watch
All Olympic men’s hockey games are being streamed live on Peacock.