The Athletic has live coverage of Canada vs Czechia in the 2026 Winter Olympics men’s hockey quarterfinal.

Following an undefeated stretch in the preliminary round, Team USA’s men’s Olympic hockey team bypassed qualifying altogether and advanced to the quarterfinals, awaiting its next opponent. On Tuesday, it was decided: With its 5-1 rout of Latvia, Sweden punched its ticket to the next round, moving one step closer to the podium.

Unfortunately, the United States picked the short straw, and it can’t afford to take the Swedes lightly. Slovakia won Group B, not Sweden, despite the latter’s more NHL-laden roster. On the other hand, the U.S. hasn’t been on the ice since Sunday, while its opponent just fought to see another day exactly 24 hours before Wednesday’s quarterfinal.

How to watch USA vs. Sweden in the men’s hockey quarterfinals
Venue: Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena — Milan
Date: Wednesday, Feb. 18
Time: 3:10 p.m. ET
TV: NBC
Streaming: Peacock, NBCOlympics.com

Be sure to check out The Athletic’s Olympic schedule interactive page and Games Briefing, a daily Olympics newsletter.

Ultimately, it depends on your view of the glass: This is either a genuine test that will further prepare Team USA for the final stages of the tournament, or it’s a bad draw for the Americans that could bring a sudden and unexpected end to their gold medal pursuit.

The U.S. didn’t play to its full potential in the prelims, a statement best exemplified by a shaky 6-3 victory over Denmark last weekend. The Danes took a 2-1 advantage into the second period before Team USA pulled away, getting six goals from six different players. Even still, the U.S. decidedly went 3-0 and did what it needed to do to get to the meat of the tournament.

Sweden arrives to the quarterfinals having gone 3-1, with victories over Italy, Slovakia and Latvia and a 4-1 loss to Finland. Notably, the Swedes took down Team USA when they last met at the 4 Nations Face-Off in 2025. The U.S. had Jake Oettinger in goal that day, however — not a well-rested Connor Hellebuyck, who will be manning the net Wednesday. If you’re looking for an X-factor, you’ve got one.

Team USA’s bout with Sweden is the last of four quarterfinal matchups on Wednesday’s schedule. The full roadmap is as follows:

Men’s hockey schedule

All times below are ET.

Quarterfinals

Wednesday, Feb. 18

Slovakia vs. Germany: 6:10 a.m. (Peacock)
Canada vs. Czechia: 10:40 a.m. (USA, Peacock)
Finland vs. Switzerland: 12:10 p.m. (Peacock)
USA vs. Sweden: 3:10 p.m. (NBC, Peacock)
Semifinals

Friday, Feb. 20

Semifinal 1: 10:40 a.m. (Peacock); 11:50 a.m. (USA, joined in progress)
Semifinal 2: 3:10 p.m. (NBC, Peacock)
Finals

Saturday, Feb. 21

Bronze medal final: 2:40 p.m. (USA, Peacock)

Sunday, Feb. 22

Gold medal final: 8:10 a.m. (NBC, Peacock)