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Olympic Men’s Hockey Day 5 Preview: Preliminary plays wraps up with Canada and the US in action

Photo credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
Feb 14, 2026, 22:00 ESTUpdated: Feb 14, 2026, 19:34 EST
Preliminary play wraps up on Sunday for the men’s hockey tournament at the Winter Olympic Games in Milan.
After the preliminary round, the leaders of each group and the fourth-ranked team overall advance straight to the knockout round, while the remaining teams are reseeded for a qualification playoff round.
Here’s a look at the final four games of preliminary play set for Sunday (all times in MT):
4:10 a.m. – Switzerland 🇨🇭 vs. Czechia 🇨🇿
Players to watch: Leonardo Genoni/Akira Schmid (SUI), Timo Meier (SUI), David Pastrnak (CZE), Martin Necas (CZE)
Switzerland and Czechia are currently tied in Group A with three points apiece, as both have beaten France and lost to Canada. The winner of this match will own the head-to-head tiebreaker, earning a higher seed. Czechia have been shaky defensively in this tournament so far, but their offensive firepower makes them the slight favourite in this one.
8:40 a.m. – Canada 🇨🇦 vs. France 🇫🇷
Canada wraps up preliminary play against France. The Canadians have two wins in two games, with ten goals scored and just one conceded. France has not fared as well, losing both matches so far, but surprising with a string of three quick goals against Czechia, with Louis Boudon registering three points. Regardless, don’t expect any surprises here, this one is Canada’s for the taking.
11:10 a.m. – Denmark 🇩🇰 vs. Latvia 🇱🇻
Players to watch: Nikolaj Ehlers (DEN), Dans Ločmelis (LAT)
Denmark made a statement against the US, but they have yet to win a game at this tournament, suffering an earlier loss to Germany. Latvia, meanwhile, were able to take down the Germans and currently sit second in Group B. A win over Denmark would give Latvia a more favourable first round matchup, but Denmark are certainly hungry to get out of the group with a win. Keep an eye on Latvia’s Dans Ločmelis, who had two power-play markers against Germany.
1:10 p.m. – United States 🇺🇸 vs. Germany 🇩🇪
Players to watch: Leon Draisaitl (GER), Tim Stützle (GER)
The United States survived a scare against Denmark, but will need to tighten up if they have any hope of challenging for the top seed when they face Germany. Considered a potential dark horse to challenge for the podium entering the tournament, the Germans now have a win and a loss. Tim Stützle has three goals, and Leon Draisaitl has a goal and two assists. They’ll need three points if want a chance at avoiding the giants of North America in the quarterfinal. Ironically, those points will need to come with a win over the US. The Americans showed against Denmark that they aren’t invincible, can the Germans seize the moment and pull off the upset?
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