The United States men’s hockey team begins its quest for a medal at the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics on Thursday, February 12th, facing Latvia in a Group C matchup at 3:10 p.m. ET, broadcast on USA Network and streamed on Peacock.
The team, led by New York Rangers head coach Mike Sullivan, features a roster hoping to end a 46-year gold medal drought, dating back to the “Miracle on Ice” victory in 1980. This marks the return of National Hockey League players to the Winter Games for the first time since the 2014 Sochi Olympics.
Among the 25 players selected are brothers Jack and Quinn Hughes, stars for the New Jersey Devils and Minnesota Wild respectively. This sibling pairing echoes a similar occurrence in 1960, the last time two sets of brothers represented Team USA at the Olympics. Joining them are Matthew and Brad Tkachuk, further bolstering the team’s familial connection.
The complete roster includes forwards Matt Boldy, Kyle Connor, Jack Eichel, Jake Guentzel, J.T. Miller, Brock Nelson, Tage Thompson, Vincent Trocheck, and Brady Tkachuk; defensemen Seth Jones, Noah Hanifin, Dylan Larkin, Charlie McAvoy, Jake Sanderson, Jaccob Slavin, and Zach Werenski; and goaltenders Connor Hellebuyck and Jake Oettinger. Rounding out the team are Clayton Keller, Brock Faber, Jeremy Swayman, and Auston Matthews.
Team USA will continue its preliminary round play against Denmark on Saturday, February 14th, at 3:10 p.m. ET, likewise on USA Network, and conclude the group stage against Germany on Sunday, February 15th, at the same time and on the same network. All games will be available for streaming on Peacock.
The men’s hockey tournament is structured with 12 teams divided into three groups – A, B, and C – with each team playing three preliminary games. Following the preliminary round, a single-elimination bracket begins on February 17th, culminating in the gold medal game on February 22nd.
Team USA is considered a favorite in the men’s tournament, according to NHL.com, as they aim to secure a medal alongside their female counterparts, who began competition last week.
