Team USA Men's Hockey Sweeps Group Play, Headed Into Quarterfinals As #2 Seed
U.S. finishes 3-0 after a 5-1 win over Germany and is likely to face Sweden in the quarterfinals on Wednesday.
Team USA finished group play undefeated after a 5-1 win over Germany on Sunday at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics. The Americans defeated Latvia 5-1 and Denmark 6-3 in their other matches, capturing first place in Group C.
All 12 teams on the men's side advance to the next stage of the Olympic hockey tournament, but the top four teams receive a bye into the quarterfinals (each group winner plus the best second-place finisher).
The United States and Canada were the only two teams to go 3-0 in the group stage, but the Canadians captured the No. 1 seed in the next round thanks to a better goal differential than the USA (+17 for Canada, +11 for the USA).
Brock Faber of the United States celebrates with teammates after scoring a goal against Germany during the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games at Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena.
(Geoff Burke-Imagn Images)
That's important because it sets up a likely match for the USA against Sweden in the quarterfinals. The Swedes entered the tournament as third-favorites to capture gold (behind the USA and Canada) but they finished in a three-way tie at the top of Group B and fell to third due to the tiebreakers. That makes Sweden the seventh seed in the qualification round, and they'll face the tenth-seeded Latvians.
Sweden and Latvia will square off on Tuesday, February 17, with the winner set to face the United States on Wednesday, February 18.
Canada draws an easier assignment thanks to taking the top seed in the quarterfinals. They will play the winner of Tuesday's Czechia/Denmark contest on Wednesday.
As for the other squads, Slovakia slots in as the third seed and will play the winner of the qualification match between sixth-seeded Germany and 11th-seeded France. Finland grabbed the final bye straight to the quarterfinals, and they will play the winner of the match between fifth-seeded Switzerland and 12th-seeded Italy.
The United States and Canada cannot meet until the gold medal game, should both teams advance that far. The gold medal game is set for Sunday, February 22.