U.S. Olympic men's hockey team schedule: Americans get quarterfinal bye after opening 3-0

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Team USA has changed its men's hockey strategy after finishing seventh in the 2018 Olympics.

That non-NHL roster featured mostly older players and four college players.

The 2022 hockey tournament will be held without NHL players again after the league pulled out amid COVID-related postponements.  

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But this time, USA Hockey is going younger, naming 15 current college players. The average age of the team is 25.1, down from 29.1 in 2018. Forward Brian O'Neill is the only returnee.

Though the tournament won't be best on best, it still should be competitive.

The USA will start off with its easiest opponent before playing two tougher ones in the preliminary round in Beijing.

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The schedule:

Preliminary round

China (Feb. 10, 8:10 a.m. ET)

There was debate about whether China should get to field a team because of its level of play, but the International Ice Hockey Federation agreed to let the host country participate. China is ranked 32nd in the world and is mostly made up of the roster of the Kontinental Hockey League's Kunlun Red Star. The team is led by Brandon Yip, who was drafted by the Colorado Avalanche and played 174 NHL games. Result: USA 8, China 0

Canada (Feb. 11, 11:10 p.m. ET) 

This is one of the biggest rivalries in international hockey. Canada and the USA faced each other twice in the gold medal game (2002, 2010) when teams were able to use NHL players. Canada has won three of the last five gold medals, and it won bronze in 2018. The teams feature four University of Michigan players: USA forwards Matty Beniers and Brendan Brisson, plus Canada defenseman Owen Power and forward Kent Johnson. Power and Beniers went 1-2 in the 2021 NHL draft. Result: USA 4, Canada 2

Germany (Feb. 13, 8:10 a.m. ET)

Germany went 1-2 in the preliminary round in 2018 before taking off. It won silver, knocking off Canada in the semifinals before losing 4-3 in overtime to Russia in the championship game. Ten players are back from that team. Result: USA 3, Germany 2

Playoffs

By going 3-0 and winning Pool A, the USA earned a bye to the quarterfinal round. So did pool winners Russian Olympic Committee and Finland, plus Sweden, the best second-place team. The remaining eight teams will take part in the qualification round, with the winners of those games advancing to the quarterfinals.

Qualification round

Slovakia 4, Germany 0

Denmark 3, Latvia 2

Switzerland 4, Czech Republic 2

Canada 7, China 2

Quarterfinals

Feb. 15

USA vs. Slovakia, 11:10 p.m. ET

The USA beat Slovakia twice in the 2018 Olympics. Slovakia goalie Patrik Rybar leads the hockey tournament with a 0.76 goals-against average and .965 save percentage. He had a 21-save shutout of defending silver medalist Germany. Forward Juraj Slafkovsky, a projected top 10 pick in this year's NHL draft, leads Slovakia with four goals.

Feb 16

Russia vs. Denmark, 1 a.m.

Finland vs. Switzerland, 3:40 a.m.

Sweden vs. Canada 8:30 a.m.

Semifinals: Feb. 17 and 18

Bronze-medal game: Feb. 19, 8:10 a.m. ET

Gold-medal game: Feb. 19, 11:10 p.m. ET

Meet the team

Goaltenders

Drew Commesso

Strauss Mann

Pat Nagle

Defensemen

Brian Cooper

Brock Faber

Drew Helleson

Steven Kampfer

Aaron Ness

Nick Perbix

Jake Sanderson

David Warsofsky

Forwards

Nick Abruzzese

Kenny Agostino

Matty Beniers

Brendan Brisson

Noah Cates

Sean Farrell

Sam Hentges

Matthew Knies

Marc McLaughlin

Ben Meyers

Andy Miele

Brian O’Neill

Nick Shore

Nathan Smith