After a two-game slate to kick off the men’s tournament for the 2026 Winter Olympics, where Slovakia pulled off an upset of Finland and the host country, Italy, gave Sweden everything they could handle, the second day of preliminary action is a full four-game schedule with two of the powerhouses playing: Canada and the United States.
Switzerland vs France (6:10 a.m.)
Switzerland: Roster
France: Roster
A country that could be a surprise team at this year’s Olympics, Switzerland kicks off its preliminary-round play against France. The Swiss have plenty of talent throughout their lineup, led by Nico Hischier (New Jersey Devils), Kevin Fiala (Los Angeles Kings), and Roman Josi (Nashville Predators). On paper, the Swiss are clearly the better team in this matchup, but as any tournament has taught fans, teams can never take a lesser opponent too lightly. The top-end talent and goaltending of Akira Schmid (Vegas Golden Knights) should help keep Switzerland ahead of France in this game.
The French do have decent talent on their roster, with the likes of Alexandre Texier (St. Louis Blues) and Pierre-Édouard Bellemare on the front end. They will need strong goaltending and overall team defense to slow down the Swiss. Coming out quickly, as the Italians did in their tight loss to Sweden, could be key to keeping Switzerland on their toes as well.
Favorite: Switzerland
Players to Watch: Nico Hischier (Switzerland), Roman Josi (Switzerland), Alexandre Texier (France),
Czechia vs Canada (10:40 a.m.)
Czechia: Roster
Canada: Roster
The Canadian’s are looked at as one of the favorites for this year’s Olympics, and rightfully so. When you have a roster with Connor McDavid (Edmonton Oilers), Cale Makar (Colorado Avalanche), Macklin Celebrini (San Jose Sharks), among many other top-end NHL talent, it is hard not to view Canada as one of the top teams. Seeing a mix of veteran players like Sidney Crosby (Pittsburgh Penguins) and Brad Marchand (Florida Panthers) alongside youngsters like Celebrini, Nick Suzuki (Montreal Canadiens), and even McDavid will be a sight to see for hockey fans.
But Czechia does have some high-end talent, including David Pastrňák (Boston Bruins) and Martin Nečas (Colorado Avalanche), who will be relied upon by the Czechs in this game and throughout the rest of the tournament. This game should be a tight one, but with the depth the Canadians have and their goaltending being better than the Czechs’, they will most likely pull off a tournament-opening victory.
Favorite: Canada
Players to Watch: David Pastrňák (Czechia), Martin Nečas (Czechia), Macklin Celebrini (Canada), Cale Makar (Canada)
Latvia vs United States (3:10 p.m.)
Latvia: Roster
United States: Roster
In any international tournament they play in, the Latvians are always among the toughest teams to play against because of their hardworking mentality and “in your face” style of play. In the Olympics this year, they bring a duo of netminders with plenty of NHL experience, Artūrs Šilovs (Pittsburgh Penguins) and Elvis Merzlikins (Columbus Blue Jackets). Whichever netminder is in the net for their matchup against the United States will need to be at the top of their game, with the overall roster build-ups being skewed in the Americans’ favor.
Getting strong defense, as with every other team that faces a skill disadvantage, will be imperative for the Latvians. They also have some depth in their forward group, led by Eduards Tralmaks, who has had a strong season in the American Hockey League (AHL) after signing with the Detroit Red Wings last offseason.
Related: Guide to the 2026 Winter Olympics Men’s Hockey Tournament
For the Americans, getting off to a strong start in the preliminary round begins with playing a sound game at both ends of the ice. Making sure they do not give the Latvians too many chances to stick around and close out this game will be key. The Latvians do have the players to make an opponent pay for giving extra chances. Getting all four forward lines rolling and in the mix of things should be a goal for the Americans. With a deep roster that puts them right up there with Canada, they should be able to pull off a victory over the Latvians, but it may be a closer score than some expect it to be.
Favorite: United States
Players to Watch: Eduards Tralmaks (Latvia), Alberts Šmits (Latvia), Quinn Hughes (United States), Auston Matthews (United States)
Germany vs Denmark (3:10 p.m.)
Germany: Roster
Denmark: Roster
Denmark is led by Nikolaj Ehlers (Carolina Hurricanes) up front, and he will be the lead horse for them at this year’s Olympics. They will need him, along with Oliver Bjorkstrand (Tampa Bay Lightning), to carry the load offensively. Where the team comes up short against the Germans is their defense. Slowing down the likes of Leon Draisaitl (Edmonton Oilers), Tim Stützle (Ottawa Senators), and JJ Peterka (Utah Mammoth) will be a tough task for the Danish. Frederik Andersen (Carolina Hurricanes) will need to be as strong as he possibly can be in this game.
For the Germans, the front end is led by the aforementioned players and by one of the NHL’s top defensemen, Moritz Seider (Detroit Red Wings), from the backend of the ice. If they can get the offense rolling against Denmark, they will pull off a victory to kick off their preliminary round play.
Favorite: Germany
Players to Watch: Nikolaj Ehlers (Denmark), Frederik Andersen (Denmark), Leon Draisaitl (Germany), Moritz Seider (Germany)
Tournament Hitting Full Swing
With four games on the schedule today, the tournament is in full swing as each country looks to get off on the right foot and head in the right direction toward a spot in the medal round. While a loss does not automatically eliminate their chances of reaching the medal round, it does set them back and likely requires them to fight for a spot in the “qualifier” portion of the tournament.
