After months of build-up. Practices closed to the media. And after months of intense debate and scrutiny over roster construction and snubs, it is finally go time for Men’s Olympic hockey for Team USA and Team Canada Thursday.
After a pair of thrilling games on Day 1 in which Slovakia upset Finland 4-1, and Sweden had to survive a shocking push by Italy, 5-2, the marquee attractions begin play Thursday at the  Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena, with the 196-foot-long ice surface.
Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby leads Team Canada against Czechia at 10:40 a.m.
Team USA is sans Penguins players, but will face Latvia at 3:10 p.m.
Latvia features Penguins goalie Arturs Silovs as one of their three goalies, which also includes NHL netminder Elvis Merzlikins of the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Latvia hasn’t announced a starting goalie, though Silovs has earned a reputation as a high-pressure goalie after his playoff performances in 2024 and his Calder Cup run that earned him MVP honors in 2025. He is likely to get some starts, if not the majority of them, in the tournament.
How to Watch
TV: Both games will appear on the USA Network.
Streaming: Peacock.
NBC will also stream both games on its Olympics website, but a Peacock subscription is necessary after 30 minutes.
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