MILAN – The U.S. Olympic Women's Ice Hockey Team commences its 2026 Olympic Winter Games journey with its initial preliminary round match against Czechia on Thursday (Feb. 5).
The puck is set to drop at 4:40 p.m. CET (10:40 a.m. ET) and will be broadcast live on USA Network or available for streaming on Peacock.
GAME STATS
2.5 Game Notes
2.5 Lines
2026 OLYMPIC WINTER GAMES
The U.S. Olympic Women's Ice Hockey Team is among 10 teams participating in the 2026 Olympic Winter Games from February 6-22 in Milan, Italy.
The tournament consists of ten teams split into two groups of five. Team USA is in Group A with Canada, Czechia, Switzerland, and Finland. Group B features Germany, France, Italy, Japan, and Sweden. Each group will engage in a single round-robin format prior to the playoff stage.
TODAY'S MATCH UP
This match represents the inaugural game of the 2026 Olympic Winter Games for Team USA. The team will compete in four preliminary round matches before the playoff phase begins on February 13.
ALL TIME AGAINST CZECHIA
This encounter marks only the second Olympic meeting between the U.S. and Czechia, with the U.S. leading the series 1-0-0-0 (W-OTW-OTL-L). The two nations have not faced each other in a preliminary round match at the Olympics previously.
Team USA Prepared For The Grand Stage 
Knight Named Captain Of Team USA 
LAST TIME AGAINST CZECHIA
The previous, and only, encounter between these teams at the Olympics occurred on February 11, 2022, during the quarterfinals in Beijing. After trailing 1-0 in the second period, the U.S. scored four consecutive goals to secure a 4-1 victory and advance to the semifinals.
WORLD NO. 1
Team USA enters the Olympics ranked as the No. 1 team by the International Ice Hockey Federation and holds the top overall seed in the tournament. The U.S. regained this position following a gold medal win at the 2025 IIHF Women's World Championship.
EDWARDS MAKES HISTORY
Defender Laila Edwards will become the first black woman to represent the United States in women's hockey at the Olympic Winter Games when she competes today against Czechia. She previously made history as the first black woman to skate for the U.S. Women's National Team at an international competition during the 2024 IIHF Women's World Championship.
Team USA Roster 
Team USA Insider 
Women's Olympic History 
