Women’s Hockey at 2026 Winter Olympics: Updated Playoff Bracket After Semifinals and Team USA Schedule

The preliminary round is over. It’s time to play for a medal in women’s hockey at the 2026 Milan Cortina Games.

Team USA women’s hockey is 6–0 heading into the gold medal game. | Erick W. Rasco/ Sports Illustrated

Team USA is right on track to win a gold medal in women’s hockey after a dominant showing in the preliminary round—and it kept things rolling with blowout wins in the quarterfinals and semifinals, too.

Through six games at the 2026 Winter Olympics, Team USA has outscored its opponents 31–1. Captain Hilary Knight and crew capped off the preliminary round by handing Canada a 5–0 loss last Tuesday—the country’s first shutout defeat in 41 Olympic tilts. In similar fashion, the U.S. also defeated Czechia 5–1, Finland 5–0 and Switzerland 5–0 in the preliminary round and entered the medal round as the clear favorites to stand atop the podium.

On Friday, Team USA easily handled Italy 6–0 in the quarterfinals behind two goals from Kendall Coyne and goaltender Gwyneth Philips’s second straight shutout. They posted another shutout win in the semifinals, blanking Sweden 5–0 to earn a spot in the gold medal game.

But there’s still work to be done. One game separate the U.S. from its third gold medal in women’s hockey since the event first entered the Olympic Games in 1998.

Here’s a look at the final preliminary standings and an updated bracket as the puck drops in the medal round:

Final standings from women’s hockey preliminary round at the 2026 Winter Olympics

First, an overview of the format: 10 teams entered the Olympic Games with a chance to win gold in women’s hockey. They were separated into two groups of five. All five of the teams from Group A—Team USA, Canada, Finland, Czechia and Switzerland—advance to the knockout medal round, while only the top three teams in Group B move on to the playoffs.

Group A final standings

1. Team USA (12 points; 4–0 record)
2. Canada (9 points; 3–1 record)
3. Czechia (4 points; 1–2–1 record)
4. Finland (3 points; 1–3 record)
5. Switzerland (2 points; 1–3 record; lone win was in OT)

Group B final standings

1. Sweden (12 points; 4–0 record)
2. Germany (8 points; 3–1 record)
3. Italy (6 points; 2–2 record)
4. Japan (3 points; 1–3 record)
5. France (1 point 0–4 record; one loss was in OT)

Japan and France—the two bottom-dwellers in Group B—were eliminated.

RELATED: 2026 Winter Olympics Medal Count: Live Updates on Milan Cortina Games

Women’s hockey bracket at the 2026 Winter Olympics

Here’s a look at the bracket with all eight quarterfinalists. The remaining four teams were reseeded after the four quarterfinal contests.

The quarterfinal matchups for women’s hockey at the 2026 Winter Olympics. | IIHF / X

A few hours before Team USA triumphed over Italy on Friday, No. 6 Sweden upset No. 3 Czechia 2–0 to advance to the semifinals. Since No. 2 Canada defeated No. 7 Germany 5–1 on Saturday, Team USA matched up against No. 6 Sweden in the semifinals on Monday—and won 5–0 to earn a spot in the gold medal game.

Team USA will battle No. 2 Canada for a gold medal on Thursday. Canada, which lost to the U.S. 5–0 in the prelims, defeated Switzerland 2–1 in the semifinals on Monday.

Olympics women’s hockey playoff round: Full schedule

All Olympic women’s hockey games will stream live on Peacock, and some will air live on USA Network.

Quarterfinals

Friday, Feb. 13

Game 1: No. 6 Sweden 2, No. 3 Czechia 0
Game 2: No. 1 Team USA 6, No. 8 Italy 0

Saturday, Feb. 14

Game 3: No. 2 Canada 5, No. 7 Germany 1
Game 4: No. 5 Switzerland 1, No. 4 Finland 0

Semifinals

Monday, Feb. 16

Team USA, Sweden, Canada and Switzerland all advanced to the semifinals.

Game 1: No. 1 Team USA 5, No. 6 Sweden 0
Game 2: No. 2 Canada 2, No. 5 Switzerland 1

Bronze medal game

Thursday, Feb. 19

Matchup: No. 6 Sweden vs. No. 5 Switzerland—8:40 a.m. ET (USA Network coverage at 12 p.m. ET)

Gold medal game

Thursday, Feb. 19

Matchup: No. 1 Team USA vs. No. 2 Canada—1:10 p.m. ET (USA Network)

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