Who does Team USA play next? 2026 Olympic hockey bracket matchup scenarios

Team USA beat Germany, 5-1, on Sunday to advance in the Olympics men's hockey tournament. The bracket ahead of them still presents many challenges, but the first box has been checked.

With the win over Germany, Team USA clinched the top spot in Group C and the No. 2 spot in the playoff round rankings. Canada claimed the top spot through a tiebreaker. The group stage results still set up the Americans for an easier road the rest of the way. The next step is to win the games they need to win to reach the gold medal match. Team USA hasn't won gold since 1980. Everyone is eager to update that date.

Olympics hockey bracket: Who does Team USA play next?

The Americans get a bye past the qualification playoffs. For the quarterfinals, they'll await the winner of Feb. 17's matchup between Sweden and Latvia.

Which team does Team USA want?

Team USA beat Latvia 5-1 to begin the group stage. So the easiest path to the next stage would certainly involve seeing the Baltic nation again. The Latvians are scrappy and not to be overlooked but the alternative…

Sweden would come in with serious upset potential. They finished third in Group B, but that was based on tiebreakers. Their only loss was to Finland, the reigning gold medalists. Both the US and Sweden have medal aspirations, making this particular matchup a grueling prospect.

When could Team USA play Canada?

After the quarterfinals, the bracket will be reseeded, so predicting the next opponent is pretty much impossible. However, there is one guarantee: Team USA won't play Canada in the semis.

Canada is the top overall seed and the US is second. They're guaranteed to be on opposite sides of the bracket. So if the rivals play eachother at the Olympics, it would have to be in the gold medal game.