The upcoming showdowns between the United States and Canada on the ice at the 2026 Olympics won’t be a cakewalk for Team USA — and that’s surprising news to actor Jon Hamm — or he at least pretended it was.
In a joint NBC Sports/NHL featurette titled “The Speech: USA Hockey heads to the Milan Cortina Olympics,” the Mad Men star is tasked with giving a rousing pep talk to the men’s U.S. Olympic hockey team. The speech hits all the tropes sports fans are familiar with (merely saying “Team USA, listen up” made Hamm get “chills”) — but his chat with the team hit a roadblock when hockey player Jack Eichel spoke up about wanting to see “Canadian tears” — a comment that Hamm pretended took him by surprise in the promo for the upcoming Winter Games.
“Exactly! Wait, what?” Hamm said, confused. “What did Canada do?”
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Hamm pretended to be unaware of the fierce rivalry that exists between the two nations in ice hockey — on both the men’s and women’s sides — and the players eagerly clued the actor in on the history.
In February 2025, the two men’s teams met in the 4 Nations Face-Off tournament, and three separate fights broke out in the first 9 seconds of the game.
“But they’re usually so polite,” Hamm responded, as clips played of the two men’s teams engaging in frequent brawls on the ice.
Jon Hamm suggests Team USA and Team Canada “hug it out”
Hamm’s speech quickly went off the rails, but he did have one idea to motivate the team.
“Are we sure we can’t just… hug it out?” he asked.
His request was met with laughter, of course. By now, there’s too much bad blood that exists between Team USA and Team Canada to settle it any other way than battling on the ice at the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics.
Watch Jon Hamm’s rousing lockerroom speech here.
The men’s squad doesn’t have a game against Canada in the preliminary rounds, so any game against their neighbors to the north would take place during the elimination round. The women’s U.S. Olympic hockey team, however, has a date with destiny against Canada on Tuesday, February 10, at 2:10 p.m. ET — live on Peacock and USA Network.
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Keep reading for the complete opening round schedule for both the men’s and women’s Olympic ice hockey teams.
This is Team USA’s Olympic preliminary round schedule
Mark your calendars — the women’s U.S. Olympic hockey team kicks off the Team USA schedule with a showdown against Czechia on Thursday, February 5, with the men’s squad beginning its quest for gold one week later.
Thursday, February 5:
10:40 a.m. ET – U.S. Women vs. Czechia on Peacock and USA Network
Encore presentations on February 5 at 5:30 p.m. ET and on February 6 at 10:30 a.m. ET on USA Network
Saturday, February 7:
10:40 a.m. ET – U.S. Women vs. Finland on Peacock and USA Network
Encore presentations on February 7 at 6 p.m. ET and 11:00 p.m. ET on USA Network
Monday, February 9:
2:40 p.m. ET – U.S. Women vs. Switzerland on Peacock and USA Network
Encore presentation on February 7 at 11 p.m. ET on USA Network
Tuesday, February 10:
2:10 p.m. ET – U.S. Women vs. Canada on Peacock and USA Network
Encore presentation at 11 p.m. ET on USA Network
Thursday, February 12:
3:10 p.m. ET – U.S. Men vs. Latvia on Peacock and USA Network
Encore presentation at 11 p.m. ET on USA Network
Saturday, February 14:
3:10 p.m. ET – U.S. Men vs. Denmark on Peacock and USA Network
Encore presentation at 11 p.m. ET on USA Network
Sunday, February 15:
3:10 p.m. ET – U.S. Men vs. Germany on Peacock and USA Network
Encore presentation at 11 p.m. ET on USA Network