Team USA men's Olympic hockey schedule at Milan Cortina Olympics

Team USA opens Olympic play Thursday at the Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena and will play four preliminary-round games (against Latvia, Denmark and Germany) before any potential advancement to elimination rounds.

Team USA's men's ice hockey team begins play at the Milan Cortina Olympics this week, with its first game Thursday at the Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena. The roster includes no previous Olympians, as NHL players have not been included in the Games since 2014. The U.S. has not won Olympic gold since 1980 and earned silver medals in 2002 and 2010. The team will play four preliminary-round games before any advancement to elimination rounds. Schedule details: - First game is Thursday against Latvia at the Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena. - Preliminary opponents include Latvia, Denmark (Saturday) and Germany (Sunday), with preliminary puck drops scheduled for 3:10 p.m. ET at Santagiulia. - The U.S. will play four preliminary-round games before possible advancement to elimination rounds. - No player on the current roster has prior Olympic experience; NHL players have not been part of the Olympic rosters since 2014. - If Team USA advances, quarterfinals are scheduled for Wednesday, Feb. 18 and semifinals for Friday, Feb. 20. - The bronze medal game is scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 21 and the gold medal game for Sunday, Feb. 22 with puck drop at 8:10 a.m. ET. Summary: Team USA's schedule sets four preliminary games at Santagiulia beginning Thursday, with preliminary puck drops at 3:10 p.m. ET. If the team advances, the elimination schedule lists quarterfinals on Feb. 18, semifinals on Feb. 20 and medal games on Feb. 21-22.