{"id":450294,"date":"2026-02-07T14:33:15","date_gmt":"2026-02-07T14:33:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/450294\/"},"modified":"2026-02-07T14:33:15","modified_gmt":"2026-02-07T14:33:15","slug":"a-winnipeg-jets-fans-guide-to-the-2026-winter-olympic-hockey-tournament-the-hockey-writers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/450294\/","title":{"rendered":"A Winnipeg Jets Fan’s Guide to the 2026 Winter Olympic Hockey Tournament – The Hockey Writers –"},"content":{"rendered":"

The 2026 Winter Olympic Games began Feb. 6, and hockey fans around the world are eager to watch NHLers participate in the men\u2019s ice hockey tournament for the first time since 2014.<\/p>\n

While the Winnipeg Jets haven\u2019t had a good season thus far and sit near the bottom of the league standings, they have four excellent players representing their countries in Milan in search of Olympic gold: Kyle Connor, Connor Hellebuyck, Josh Morrissey, and Nino Niederreiter.<\/p>\n

If you want to catch the Jets in action beginning Feb. 11, when the men\u2019s tournament begins, The Hockey Writers has you covered. The schedule for each Jets\u2019 representatives\u2019 teams is as follows, with all times listed in Central Standard Time.<\/p>\n

Morrissey: Canada<\/p>\n

Morrissey, the Jets\u2019 elite two-way blue liner, is the only Jets representative on an unsurprisingly-deep Canada squad. The Calgarian has 10 goals and 32 assists for 42 points in 56 games this season and has recorded 415 points in 718-career games over 11 seasons in Winnipeg. He also represented Canada at last season\u2019s 4 Nations Face-Off, but a flu bug prevented him from playing in the final.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs a hockey player in our sport, you grow up dreaming of playing in the NHL, and subsequently, it would be pretty darn cool to play in the Olympics,\u201d Morrissey said recently.<\/p>\n

\"JoshJosh Morrissey, Winnipeg Jets (Jess Starr<\/a>\/The Hockey Writers)<\/p>\n

\u201cBut, unlike other sports, where that\u2019s the ultimate goal, I never thought I\u2019d have the chance to be an Olympian. It\u2019s hard to put into words. Just having the chance to represent Canada on any level, let alone the Olympics, it\u2019s a dream come true.\u201d (From \u2018I just can\u2019t wait to get over there,\u2019 Winnipeg Free Press, Feb. 4, 2026.)<\/p>\n

Morrissey and the Canadians are in Group A with Czechia, France, and Switzerland. They face Czechia on Feb. 12 (9:40 a.m.), Switzerland on Feb. 13 (2:10 p.m.), and France on Feb. 15 (9:40 a.m.).<\/p>\n

Connor and Hellebuyck: United States<\/p>\n

Connor, the longtime Jets\u2019 sniper, and Hellebuyck, the Jets\u2019 longtime backstop, are both from Michigan and are both appearing in their first Olympics a year after playing for the United States at the 4 Nations Face-Off.<\/p>\n

Connor has 25 goals and 39 assists for 64 points this season to sit second on the Jets behind Mark Scheifele (who was notably and repeatedly snubbed by Canada<\/a>) and has 646-career points in 669-career games over 10 seasons with the Jets.<\/p>\n

\u201cCan\u2019t wait for the experience,\u201d Connor said recently. \u201cIt\u2019s going to be some great hockey. We\u2019ve got a little revenge to us as a team, going back to the 4 Nations and I know it\u2019s not just us against Canada. There\u2019s a lot of other teams in this tournament as well.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"KyleWinnipeg Jets left wing Kyle Connor celebrates his goal on Calgary Flames goaltender Dustin Wolf (James Carey Lauder-Imagn Images)<\/p>\n

\u201cThe anticipation is there and the eagerness, and it\u2019s been a building process since 4 Nations. Being American, I\u2019m extremely, extremely proud and obviously very gracious to be able to wear that sweater. It means a lot to me. And there\u2019s a rich history of U.S. hockey players before me that have gone through it and it\u2019s a great honour,\u201d he continued. (From \u2018A huge honour,\u2019 Winnipeg Free Press, Feb. 5, 2026.)<\/p>\n

Hellebuyck, who is the defending Hart Trophy and Vezina Trophy winner and also the United States\u2019 probable starter, has a 13-16-7 record, 2.79 goals against average, and .900 save percentage this season. He\u2019s racked up 335 wins over 11 seasons in the Jets\u2019 crease.<\/p>\n

The United States is in Group C with Denmark, Germany, and Latvia. They face Latvia on Feb. 12 (2:10 p.m.), Denmark on Feb. 14 (2:10 p.m.), and Germany on Feb. 15 (2:10 p.m.).<\/p>\n

Niederreiter: Switzerland<\/p>\n

Niederreiter, who was one of the first six Swiss players selected last June and was also a flag bearer at the opening ceremony<\/a>, is a veteran forward of more than 1,000 games<\/a> who has represented his country no fewer than 14 times at various events. A member of the Jets since February, 2022, the winger has eight goals and 11 assists for 19 points this season and 499-career points.<\/p>\n

\u201cSuper excited about it,\u201d Niederreiter said recently. \u201cObviously, it\u2019s a huge honour having a chance to play for your country, and obviously we have a good team and looking forward to playing a good tournament.\u201d (From \u2018A huge honour,\u2019 Winnipeg Free Press, Feb. 5, 2026.)<\/p>\n

Niederreiter and the Swiss are in Group A with Canada, Czechia, and France. They face France on Feb. 12 (5:10 a.m.), Canada on Feb. 13 (2:10 p.m.), and Czechia on Feb. 15 (5:10 a.m.).<\/p>\n

Playoffs and Medal Games<\/p>\n

The playoffs take place Feb. 17 with four games. The three group winners, plus the best second-place team, advance to the quarterfinals. The other eight teams play in a qualification round to determine the last four quarterfinalists.<\/p>\n

Related: Guide to the 2026 Winter Olympics Men\u2019s Hockey Tournament<\/a><\/p>\n

The quarterfinals take place the following day. The semifinals take place on Feb. 20, while the bronze-medal game takes place Feb. 21 at 1:40 p.m. and the gold medal game goes down on Feb. 22 at 7:10 a.m.<\/p>\n

Grab your coffee (or espresso, considering the Olympics are taking place in Italy) and enjoy watching the Jets and the rest of the NHL\u2019s best battle for gold. Be sure to follow\u00a0THW through the Olympic tournament for extensive coverage of every team and game.<\/p>\n

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