GAME DAY | U.S. Competes Against Hungary in Men’s World Championship at 10:20 a.m. ET Today

ZURICH, Switzerland – The U.S. Men’s National Team is set to compete against Hungary today in the 2026 IIHF Men’s World Championship, a crucial match for Team USA if they aim to progress to the quarterfinals. The opening faceoff is scheduled for 4:20 p.m. (10:20 a.m. ET/NHL Network/NHL YouTube) at Swiss Life Arena, marking the sixth of seven preliminary round games for the U.S.

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The top four teams from Group A will move on to the quarterfinals, with Team USA currently positioned sixth out of eight teams in their group. However, with victories in their last two preliminary round matches, including at least one in regulation, the U.S. can secure a spot in Thursday’s playoff round. Team USA has reached the quarterfinals every year since 2011.

The U.S. last competed on Saturday (May 23), where despite having a 47-22 advantage in shots on goal, they suffered a 4-2 loss to Latvia. Team USA, with a record of 2-3 in their first five games of the championship, received goals from Matthew Tkachuk on the power play and Mathieu Olivier, while Devin Cooley recorded 20 saves.

Hungary has a record of 1-4 thus far in the men’s worlds, with their sole victory being a 5-0 win against Great Britain. After starting the tournament with a 4-1 defeat to Finland, Hungary lost 4-2 to Austria. In their last two matches, Hungary fell 6-2 to Germany on May 22, and were shut out 9-0 by Switzerland on Saturday (May 23).

The U.S. will meet Hungary for only the fifth time in IIHF Men’s World Championship history, having won the previous four encounters by a combined score of 21-2. The teams faced off in last year’s championship, where Team USA secured a 6-0 win. Frank Nazar and Cutter Gauthier each netted two goals for the U.S., and Jeremy Swayman achieved a shutout, stopping all 13 shots he faced.

Isaac Howard (3-1—4) and Mathieu Olivier (2-2—4) lead Team USA in points heading into today’s game, followed closely by Max Sasson (1-2—3), Paul Cotter (1-2—3), and Oliver Moore (0-3—3). Devin Cooley is the leading goaltender for the U.S. with a 2-1 record (1.89, .922).

Team USA will conclude preliminary round play tomorrow (May 26) against Austria at 4:20 p.m. (10:20 a.m. ET).

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