The quest for gold at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics has reached its fever pitch. Following a dramatic slate of quarter-final matchups on Wednesday, February 18, where three of the four contests required overtime to decide a winner, the field has been narrowed to the final four nations. The semi-final bracket is now officially set, featuring a high-stakes showdown between North American giants and European powerhouses.
Olympic Men’s Hockey Semifinal Matchups
The semi-final round will take place on Friday, February 20, 2026. After navigating a grueling preliminary round and a tense knockout stage, the following teams remain in contention for the podium:
- United States vs. Slovakia: Team USA remains undefeated in the tournament, most recently coming off a dominant 5-1 victory over Germany and a hard-fought quarter-final win. They face a surging Slovakian squad that has become the “Cinderella” story of the 2026 Games after upsetting Germany to reach the medal round.
- Canada vs. Finland: In a battle of traditional hockey superpowers, Canada advances to face a disciplined Finnish team. Both teams survived overtime scares in the quarter-finals to keep their gold medal dreams alive.
Tournament Format and Path to Gold
The 2026 tournament featured 12 nations divided into three groups. Following the round-robin stage, all teams advanced to a knockout bracket, with the top four seeds earning a bye directly to the quarter-finals. The winners of Friday’s semi-final games will advance to the Gold Medal Game, while the losing sides will compete for the Bronze.
Key Dates Remaining
- February 20, 2026: Men’s Semi-Finals
- February 21, 2026: Bronze Medal Game
- February 22, 2026: Gold Medal Game
Team USA Performance Update
Led by stars like Auston Matthews, who netted two goals in the final preliminary game against Germany, the United States has looked like the team to beat. Their “best-on-best” roster, featuring NHL pros for the first time since 2014, has lived up to the hype, entering the semi-finals with a perfect record. However, analysts warn that Slovakia’s young roster is playing “four years ahead of schedule” and could provide a significant challenge in the next round.
How to Watch
Fans in the United States can catch the live action across NBC Universal platforms, including Peacock for streaming and USA Network for cable broadcasts. Given the time difference in Milan, many games are scheduled for early morning or midday starts in Eastern Standard Time.