When and where to watch NHL stars at 2026 Winter Olympic men's hockey? Full schedule & key matches in Milan

For the first time since 2014, the elite NHL players are officially back at the Winter Olympics, and it will be game time Wednesday, Feb 11th, in Milan as the puck drops for the much-anticipated 2026 Winter Men’s Hockey event at Milano Cortina 2026, featuring the best players from Canada, the United States, Sweden, and other nations.A total of twelve national teams will compete through the group stage from Feb. 11th to Feb. 15th before the knockout stage. The final will be on Sunday, the 22nd, to conclude the Winter Games with a flourish at the Santagiulia Arena.The tournament has three groups in the initial stages. Group A comprises Canada, Czechia, France, and Switzerland. Group B comprises Finland, Italy, Slovakia, and Sweden. Group C comprises Denmark, Germany, Latvia, and the United States.The top teams in these groups, along with the top second-placed team, will advance to the quarterfinals. The other eight teams will then face off in qualification playoffs on Feb. 17, quarterfinals on Feb. 18, semifinals on Feb. 20, the bronze medal match on Feb. 21, and the final on Feb. 22.NHL clubs from The Sporting Tribune’s coverage area are well-represented across seven countries. The Vegas Golden Knights are leading the pack with seven Olympians, including Jack Eichel from the USA and Mitch Marner and Mark Stone from Canada, along with Tomáš Hertl representing Czechia. The Anaheim Ducks are sending six Olympians to compete, including Mikael Granlund from Finland and Radko Gudas from Czechia. The Los Angeles-based Kings are represented by five Olympians, including Drew Doughty and goalie Darcy Kuemper (Canada), Adrian Kempe (Sweden), and Kevin Fiala (Switzerland).Group play begins with Slovakia and Finland facing off Feb. 11, followed by Sweden and the host nation of Italy. A big match is set for Feb. 12 as Canada plays Czechia. Team USA opens with a match against Latvia. They then play Denmark and Germany.All of the men’s hockey games will be streamed live on Peacock in the United States. Some will be carried on the USA Network and CNBC, with NBC broadcasting one quarterfinal, one semifinal, and the gold medal game.With NHL talent finally making the journey to the Olympic podium, the path to gold in Milan is expected to bring high-quality international hockey at its finest.