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The United States men’s hockey team has opened its Olympic campaign with impressive success, remaining undefeated through the preliminary round of the 2026 Games. It has now extended its record to 4-0-0.
Team USA needed overtime to get past Sweden in the quarterfinals, but a win is a win, and it is now set to face Slovakia in the semis. Notably, the United States had not defeated Sweden in Olympic competition since 1960 before its quarterfinal victory Wednesday.
While the Americans aim to secure the gold medal, they are well aware of the formidable opposition awaiting them, with a resilient Slovakia squad standing in their path.
The Sporting News takes a look at Team USA’s upcoming opponent below.
MORE 2026 OLYMPICS: Live medal tracker | Viewer's guide | Day-by-day schedule
Olympic hockey bracket 2026
Canada, the United States, Slovakia, and Finland have werw the top four seeds and received byes directly to the quarterfinals. They are now the last four teams standing in the chase for gold.
| Game | Time (ET) | Arena |
| (3) Slovakia 6, Germany 2 | 6:10 a.m. | Santagiulia Arena |
| (1) Canada 4, Czechia 3 | 10:40 a.m. | Santagiulia Arena |
| (4) Finland 3,. Switzerland 2 | 12:10 p.m. | RHO Arena |
| (2) USA 2, Sweden 1 | 3:10 p.m. | Santagiulia Arena |
MORE: Day-by-day TV, streaming schedule for 2026 Winter Olympics
Who will USA play next in hockey?
The United States won its quarterfinal match against Sweden on Wednesday and will advance to the semifinals against Slovakia on Friday.
As the No. 1 overall seed, Canada is positioned on the opposite side of the bracket from the No. 2 seed, the United States, meaning the two rivals can meet in the gold-medal game only if both win their semifinal matchups.
MORE: Updated medal count at 2026 Olympics
How does the Olympic hockey bracket work?
The 2026 Olympic men's hockey tournament consists of 12 countries divided into three groups of four for the initial round-robin stage.
The winners of each group, along with the highest-ranked second-place team, automatically advance to the quarterfinals. The other eight teams are ranked 5th through 12th and compete in a single-elimination playoff, with the winners advancing to join the top seeds in the quarterfinals.
To facilitate the most competitive matchups in the later stages, the IIHF reseeds the four semifinalists according to their preliminary-round rankings. This reseeding pairs the highest remaining seed against the lowest to determine who will compete in the gold medal game.
MORE: USA men's hockey schedule
Olympic hockey schedule 2026
Feb. 18: Men's Quarterfinals
| Game | Time (ET) | Arena |
| (3) Slovakia 6, Germany 2 | 6:10 a.m. | Santagiulia Arena |
| (1) Canada 4, Czechia 3 | 10:40 a.m. | Santagiulia Arena |
| (4) Finland 3, Switzerland 2 | 12:10 p.m. | RHO Arena |
| (2) USA 2, Sweden 1 | 3:10 p.m. | Santagiulia Arena |
Feb. 19: Women's Medal Games
| Game | Time (ET) | Arena |
| Bronze Medal: Sweden vs. Switzerland | 8:40 a.m. | Santagiulia Arena |
| Gold Medal: USA vs. Canada | 1:10 p.m. | Santagiulia Arena |
Feb. 20: Men's Semifinals
| Game | Time (ET) | Arena |
| Semifinal 1 (Canada vs. Finland) | 10:40 a.m. | Santagiulia Arena |
| Semifinal 2 (USA vs. Slovakia) | 3:10 p.m. | Santagiulia Arena |
Feb. 21: Men's Bronze Medal Game
| Game | Time (ET) | Arena |
| Bronze Medal Game (TBD vs. TBD) | 2:40 p.m. | Santagiulia Arena |
Feb. 22: Men's Gold Medal Game
| Game | Time (ET) | Arena |
| Gold Medal Game (TBD vs. TBD) | 8:10 a.m. | Santagiulia Arena |
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