The National Hockey League has paused the 2025-26 season for a three-week hiatus for the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026. NHL players are participating in the Olympics for the first time since 2014, with games set to begin on Wednesday, Feb. 11.
Eight members of the Vegas Golden Knights will represent their countries in the tournament, including forwards Mark Stone (CAN), Mitch Marner (CAN), Tomas Hertl (CZE) and Jack Eichel (USA), defensemen Shea Theodore (CAN), Rasmus Andersson (SWE) and Noah Hanifin (USA), and goaltender Akira Schmid (SUI). Also, head coach Bruce Cassidy will serve as an assistant coach on Jon Cooper’s staff for Team Canada.
The rest of the Golden Knights will take full advantage of the extended break, which will be particularly imperative for the banged-up Vegas squad.
Injury update
The Golden Knights’ injury list features at least six starters. Though several are expected to return to the lineup immediately following the Olympic break, others are on more conservative recovery timelines.
Here’s an overview of where things stand:
William Karlsson (injured Nov. 8, week-to-week)
Brayden McNabb (injured Dec. 31, expected back after the Olympic break)
Brandon Saad (injured Jan. 8, may be available coming out of the Olympic break)
Carter Hart (injured Jan. 8, no update)
Brett Howden (injured Jan. 10, week-to-week)
Colton Sissons (injured Jan. 14, may be available coming out of the Olympic break)
Jonas Rondbjerg (injured Feb. 1, week-to-week, won’t participate in Olympics)
Format
The 12 teams competing in the Olympics are divided into three groups of four:
Group A — Canada, Czechia, France, Switzerland
Group B — Finland, Italy, Slovakia, Sweden
Group C — Denmark, Germany, Latvia, United States
Each group will play a three-game preliminary round with a three-point system to determine the standings of each group. The teams with the four best records will earn a bye, while the other eight teams will compete in a single-elimination “qualification round.”
After the qualification round, the eight teams remaining (the four teams that earned byes and the four winners from the qualification round) will then enter into a standard tournament format, with a quarterfinal round, a semifinal round and then the two medal games, which are scheduled for Feb. 21-22.
In the preliminary round, games that are undecided after 60 minutes will feature a five-minute period of 3-on-3 overtime followed by a shootout (if necessary). In the elimination games (not including the gold-medal game), overtime will be 10 minutes of 3-on-3 followed by a shootout (if necessary). The gold-medal game will not end in a shootout; instead, teams will play 20-minute periods of 3-on-3 until a winner is determined.
Unlike NHL shootouts, the Olympic shootouts will be a best-of-five skills competition. If a winner does not emerge through five rounds, teams can use players who have already taken a shot.
Schedule
Games can be streamed live on Peacock and on NBCOlympics.com. Games also can be viewed on the NBC Sports app, and certain games (indicated below) will be televised on USA Network, NBC and CNBC.
For a full schedule (including replays), check out the NBCOlympics schedule page (toggle the “TV Only” option at the top to only view the broadcast schedule).
Wednesday, Feb. 11
Slovakia vs. Finland — 7:40 a.m. PT (USA Network)
Sweden vs. Italy — 12:10 p.m. PT (USA Network)
Thursday, Feb. 12
Switzerland vs. France — 3:10 a.m. PT (Peacock)
Czechia vs. Canada* — 7:40 a.m. PT (USA Network)
Latvia vs. USA — 12:10 p.m. PT (USA Network)
Germany vs. Denmark — 12:10 p.m. PT (Peacock)
*Hertl vs. Stone/Marner/Theodore
Friday, Feb. 13
Finland vs. Sweden — 3:10 a.m. PT (USA Network)
Italy vs. Slovakia — 3:10 a.m. PT (Peacock)
France vs. Czechia — 7:40 a.m. PT (Peacock)
Canada vs. Switzerland* — 12:10 p.m. PT (Peacock)
*Stone/Marner/Theodore vs. Schmid
Saturday, Feb. 14
Sweden vs. Slovakia — 3:10 a.m. PT (Peacock)
Germany vs. Latvia — 3:10 a.m. PT (CNBC)
Finland vs. Italy — 7:40 a.m. PT (USA Network)
USA vs. Denmark — 12:10 p.m. PT (USA Network)
Sunday, Feb. 15
Switzerland vs. Czechia* — 3:10 a.m. PT (CNBC)
Canada vs. France — 7:40 a.m. PT (USA Network)
Denmark vs. Latvia — 10:10 a.m. PT (CNBC)
USA vs. Germany — 12:10 p.m. PT (USA Network)
*Schmid vs. Hertl
Monday, Feb. 16
No games scheduled
Tuesday, Feb. 17
Qualification game — 3:10 a.m. PT (Peacock)
Qualification game — 3:10 a.m. PT (Peacock)
Qualification game — 7:40 a.m. PT (Peacock)
Qualification game — 12:10 p.m. PT (Peacock)
Wednesday, Feb. 18
Quarterfinal — 3:10 a.m. PT (Peacock)
Quarterfinal — 7:40 a.m. PT (USA Network)
Quarterfinal — 9:10 a.m. PT (USA Network)
Quarterfinal — 12:10 p.m. PT (NBC)
Thursday, Feb. 19
No games scheduled
Friday, Feb. 20
Semifinal 1 — 7:40 a.m. PT (USA Network)
Semifinal 2 — 12:10 p.m. PT (NBC)
Saturday, Feb. 21
Bronze medal game — 11:40 a.m. PT (USA Network)
Sunday, Feb. 22
Gold medal game — 5:10 a.m. PT (NBC)
Team Canada
Mark Stone, Mitch Marner, Shea Theodore
All three of Vegas’ Canadian players will be first-time Olympians, and all three played in last year’s 4 Nations Face-Off. Stone scored one goal in four games, while Marner recorded a goal and two assists, including the primary helper on Connor McDavid’s tournament-clinching winner. Theodore sustained an injury after playing just 6:59 in the first game of the tournament.
All three players also represented Canada in the 2018-19 world championships. Stone went off for eight goals and 14 points in 10 games and finished with a plus-10 rating. Marner lit the lamp four times and added eight helpers for a total of 12 points in 10 games, while Theodore scored two goals and seven points and was a plus-nine.
Stone has been on fire this season and already has more goals in 41 games in 2025-26 (21) than he did in 66 games last season (19). He’s also three points shy of tying his career-high of 25 power-play points. Stone has 21 goals and 60 points in 41 games and is averaging 1.46 points per game. He has been exceptionally consistent, recording at least a point in 35 games this season. He is second on the team in scoring behind only Eichel (68).
Marner has 58 points in 57 games in is first season with the Golden Knights, and his shooting percentage (13.9 percent) is the lowest it has been since 2020-21. He recorded points in five straight games leading up to the Olympic break and has demonstrated some game-breaking ability in recent games. Marner is third on the team in scoring, and his 42 assists trail only Eichel (47).
Theodore has had a relatively quiet season production-wise, though that’s partly because the Golden Knights have used a five-forward unit on the top power play for most of the season. Even so, Theodore has matched his goal total from last year (seven) in 21 fewer games, is averaging the most ice time (23:42) of his career and is a plus-13, which is third-best on the team behind Stone and Eichel (plus-18). Theodore also is tied with Hertl for third place on the team with three game-winning goals.
Both Vegas forwards are expected to play with Sidney Crosby on Canada’s third line. Canada has the most stacked forward depth in the tournament, which explains why players of Stone’s and Marner’s caliber are relegated to bottom-six minutes. However, the trio is sure to be a dynamic two-way threat that can match up against any line on any team.
Theodore has skated on the extra pair with Philadelphia’s Travis Sanheim, though there has been some discussion that Theodore could see some time with Cale Makar throughout the preliminary round.
Crosby will serve as Canada’s captain, while McDavid and Makar will be the alternates.
Projected lineup
Macklin Celebrini — Connor McDavid (A) — Tom Wilson
Brad Marchand — Nathan MacKinnon — Nick Suzuki
Mitch Marner — Sidney Crosby (C) — Mark Stone
Brandon Hagel — Bo Horvat — Sam Reinhart
Sam Bennett, Seth Jarvis
Devon Toews — Cale Makar (A)
Josh Morrissey — Colton Parayko
Thomas Harley — Drew Doughty
Travis Sanheim — Shea Theodore
Jordan Binnington
Logan Thompson
Darcy Kuemper
Canada schedule
Thursday, Feb. 12: Czechia vs. Canada — 7:40 a.m. PT (USA Network)
Friday, Feb. 13: Canada vs. Switzerland — 12:10 p.m. PT (Peacock)
Sunday, Feb. 15: Canada vs. France — 7:40 a.m. PT (USA Network)
Team Czechia
Tomas Hertl
Hertl, a first-time Olympian, is second on the Golden Knights in goals (22) and power-play goals (11), trailing only Pavel Dorofeyev (26, 14). He’s also fourth on the team in scoring with 49 points in 57 games. Hertl is producing at a slightly better rate (0.86 points per game) compared to last season (0.84) and is on pace to exceed his point total from 2024-25 (61) by nine points.
Hertl has scored 56 goals and 114 points in 136 games since coming over to Vegas at the 2024 trade deadline. He enters the Olympics having recorded 15 points in his last 14 games. He is expected to center Czechia’s top line between Colorado’s Martin Necas and Boston’s David Pastrnak, and he is slated to be the pivot on the top power-play unit as well.
Hertl recorded one goal and five points in 10 games while representing Czechia in the 2021-22 world championships.
Roman Cervenka was named team captain, while Pastrnak and Radko Gudas will wear the A’s.
Projected lineup
Martin Necas — Tomas Hertl — David Pastrnak (A)
Ondrej Palat — David Kampf — Ondrej Kase
Roman Cervenka (C) — Lukas Sedlak — David Tomasek
Matej Stransky — Radek Faksa — Dominik Kubalik
Radim Simek — Filip Hronek
Michal Kempny — Radko Gudas (A)
Jan Rutta — David Spacek
Karel Vejmelka
Dan Vladar
Lukas Dostal
Czechia schedule
Thursday, Feb. 12: Czechia vs. Canada — 7:40 a.m. PT (USA Network)
Friday, Feb. 13: France vs. Czechia — 7:40 a.m. PT (Peacock)
Sunday, Feb. 15: Switzerland vs. Czechia — 3:10 a.m. PT (CNBC)
Team Sweden
Rasmus Andersson
Andersson has had a whirlwind stretch after coming over to Vegas in a trade on Jan. 18. He has recorded one goal and four points while averaging 21:55 in eight games with the Golden Knights leading up to the Olympic break. He has 11 goals and 34 points in 56 games this season.
Andersson played one game for Sweden in last year’s 4 Nations Face-Off, and he recorded two goals and six points in 10 games in the world championships in 2024.
Sweden is considered to have one of the deepest blue lines of the tournament, and Andersson is set to skate on the second pair with Tampa Bay’s Victor Hedman. Rasmus Dahlin and Gustav Forsling are on the top pair, while Erik Karlsson and Philip Broberg round out the top six. Toronto’s Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Boston’s Hampus Lindholm will serve as the extra rearguards.
Gabriel Landeskog will serve as Sweden’s captain, while Hedman and Karlsson will wear the A’s.
Projected lineup
William Nylander — Joel Eriksson Ek — Adrian Kempe
Elias Pettersson — Mika Zibanejad — Rickard Rakell
Lucas Raymond — Elias Lindholm — Filip Forsberg/Jesper Bratt
Pontus Holmberg — Alex Wennberg — Gabriel Landeskog (C)
Marcus Johansson
Gustav Forsling — Rasmus Dahlin
Victor Hedman (A) — Rasmus Andersson
Philip Broberg — Erik Karlsson (A)
Oliver Ekman-Larsson — Hampus Lindholm
Filip Gustavsson
Jacob Markstrom
Jesper Wallstedt
Schedule
Wednesday, Feb. 11: Sweden vs. Italy — 12:10 p.m. PT (USA Network)
Friday, Feb. 13: Finland vs. Sweden — 3:10 a.m. PT (USA Network)
Saturday, Feb. 14: Sweden vs. Slovakia — 3:10 a.m. PT (Peacock)
Team Switzerland
Akira Schmid
Likely the most under-the-radar Vegas participant in this year’s Winter Olympics is Schmid, who will make his Olympic debut.
Schmid is having a quiet but significant season for the Golden Knights. He has been in net for 16 of Vegas’ 27 wins and is 16-6-6 with a 2.53 goals-against average and .895 save percentage. He has recorded two shutouts, making 24 saves on Nov. 4 against Detroit and Dec. 5 against New Jersey. Schmid has been Vegas’ most consistent netminder this season and has played a key role in helping the Golden Knights through a roller-coaster season.
In the 2023-24 world championships, Schmid didn’t start any games but recorded a 0.86 goals-against average and .946 save percentage in three appearances.
The 25-year-old is more than 10 years younger than Switzerland’s other two netminders, who are 38 and 39. Given his lack of experience internationally, it’s unclear if he’ll get a look in net despite the fact that he’s the only one of the three currently in the NHL. Instead, Leonardo Genoni is expected to start.
Predators defenseman Roman Josi will serve as captain, while Kevin Fiala, Nico Hischier, Andrea Glauser and Nino Niederreiter will be the alternates.
Projected lineup
Kevin Fiala (A) — Nico Hischier (A) — Calvin Thurkauf
Sven Andrighetto — Denis Malgin — Nino Niederreiter (A)
Philipp Kurashev — Pius Suter — Timo Meier
Christoph Bertschy — Ken Jager — Damien Riat
Roman Josi (C) — Andrea Glauser (A)
Dean Kukan — Jonas Siegenthaler
J.J. Moser — Michael Fora
Leonardo Genoni
Akira Schmid
Reto Berra
Schedule
Thursday, Feb. 12: Switzerland vs. France — 3:10 a.m. PT (Peacock)
Friday, Feb. 13: Canada vs. Switzerland* — 12:10 p.m. PT (Peacock)
Sunday, Feb. 15: Switzerland vs. Czechia* — 3:10 a.m. PT (CNBC)
Team USA
Jack Eichel, Noah Hanifin
Eichel and Hanifin both played in last year’s 4 Nations Face-Off but are first-time Olympians. Eichel recorded four assists in four games in last year’s tournament, while Hanifin did not find the scoresheet and was a minus-two. The two also played in the 2018-19 world championships, where Eichel recorded two goals and eight points in eight games and Hanifin scored a goal and added three helpers to go along with a plus-10 rating.
Eichel is averaging 1.36 points per game this season and leads the Golden Knights in assists (47) and points (68). He’s on pace to set a new career high in points (102) after setting a personal best with 94 last season. Hanifin’s production has been down this year, though his workload has increased. He’s averaging almost two minutes more per game (23:26) than he did last year (21:33) and has two goals and 20 points in 47 games.
Eichel is expected to center the top line for Team USA between the Tkachuk brothers, while Hanifin has been skating with Jackson LaCombe on the fourth pair and is likely to be a healthy scratch for the team’s first game on Thursday.
Auston Matthews was named captain, while Matthew Tkachuk and Charlie McAvoy will serve as alternates.
Projected lineup
Brady Tkachuk — Jack Eichel — Matthew Tkachuk (A)
Jake Guentzel — Auston Matthews (C) — Matt Boldy
Kyle Connor — Dylan Larkin — Tage Thompson
J.T. Miller — Brock Nelson — Jack Hughes
Clayton Keller — Vincent Trocheck
Quinn Hughes — Charlie McAvoy (A)
Jaccob Slavin — Brock Faber
Jake Sanderson — Zach Werenski
Jackson LaCombe — Noah Hanifin
Connor Hellebuyck
Jake Oettinger
Jeremy Swayman
USA Schedule
Thursday, Feb. 12: Latvia vs. USA — 12:10 p.m. PT (USA Network)
Saturday, Feb. 14: USA vs. Denmark — 12:10 p.m. PT (USA Network)
Sunday, Feb. 15: USA vs. Germany — 12:10 p.m. PT (USA Network)