2026 Milan-Cortina Paralympic Winter Games: Para Ice Hockey Semifinals Set

The stage is set for the semi-final round of the Para ice hockey tournament at the 2026 Paralympic Winter Games in Milan-Cortina, Italy. Following a compelling preliminary round at the Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena, the top four teams have advanced to compete for a spot in the gold medal game.

Semi-Final Matchups

Defending champions the United States will face Czechia in the first semi-final on Friday, March 13th, at 2:35 p.m. Local time. The U.S. Topped Group A with an impressive +32 goal difference (34 goals scored to 2 conceded). This will be Czechia’s first-ever Paralympic semi-final appearance in their fifth Games participation. The United States has not lost a playoff game in 20 years, with their last defeat occurring at the 2006 Turin Games against Norway .

In the second semi-final, Group B winners Canada will take on China at 7:05 p.m. Local time. This marks the first Paralympic meeting between the two nations. Canada boasts a 4-2 record in Paralympic semi-finals, while China, the bronze medalists from Beijing 2022, are making their second Paralympic appearance and reached the semi-finals once before, losing to the United States .

Classification Games

The competition continues with classification games to determine the remaining placements. Slovakia will face Germany on Thursday, March 12th, at 2:35 p.m. Local time, marking their first-ever Paralympic Winter Games meeting. Italy will then compete against Japan at 7:05 p.m. Local time, also a first-time matchup at the Paralympic Winter Games .

Tournament Overview

The 2026 Paralympic Winter Games will take place from March 7-15 in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy. Eight teams are competing in the Para ice hockey tournament, divided into two groups for the preliminary round. Group A consisted of the United States, China, Germany, and Italy, while Group B featured Canada, Czechia, Japan, and Slovakia .

The medal round is scheduled for March 15th. All games are being streamed live on Peacock . The United States enters the tournament as four-time defending champions, having secured medals in six of their seven Paralympic appearances .

U.S. Coaching Staff

David Hoff will lead the U.S. Paralympic Sled Hockey team, reprising his role from the 2022 Paralympic Winter Games where the team won gold. Assistant coach Corey Gorder will also return, having contributed to the team’s success in 2022 and previous World Para Ice Hockey Championships in 2019, 2021, 2023, and 2025 .