The Olympic stakes crank up in Milan on Friday as Team USA faces Slovakia in the men’s ice hockey semifinal at Milano Santa Giulia, with puck drop set for 3:10 p.m. ET. The winner heads to Sunday’s gold medal game, while the loser is sent to Saturday’s bronze-medal matchup. Both teams arrive in the final four riding quarterfinal wins that set up a high-pressure, single-elimination clash.
How the teams got here
Team USA advanced after Quinn Hughes buried a sudden-death overtime goal to cap a 2-1 win over Sweden in the quarterfinals, according to NHL.com. Slovakia punched its ticket with a 6-2 quarterfinal victory over Germany, a game that featured a goal and an assist from Dalibor Dvorsky, per The Washington Post. The result pairs American star power with a Slovak core that has been peaking at just the right time.
Players to watch
Quinn Hughes looms as the obvious X-factor after his overtime heroics, while Dylan Larkin and goalie Connor Hellebuyck have been steady pillars for the U.S. squad. "It was a great hockey game and I could not be more proud of our guys," U.S. coach Mike Sullivan said after the quarterfinal win, according to USA Hockey. On the Slovak side, 20-year-old Dalibor Dvorsky has been a revelation, piling up points and altering the matchup dynamics, per Flashscore.
When and how to watch
Puck drop is scheduled for 3:10 p.m. ET and the game will air on NBC, with live streaming available on Peacock, according to Yahoo Sports. Local preview coverage and a short video mention of the matchup are also available from KSDK.
At the arena
The match will be played at PalaItalia Santa Giulia (often referenced as Milano Santagiulia) in the Santa Giulia district. The venue is listed at Via del Futurismo, 20138 Milano and is being used as the primary hockey arena for the Milan portion of the Games. Organizers have been finalizing preparations at the facility ahead of the semifinals, according to ThePlan.
For the U.S., a win would guarantee its first Olympic men’s hockey medal since 2010. For Slovakia, another victory would keep a surprising, momentum-driven run alive. "It's going to be a huge, huge test for us," Matthew Tkachuk said after the quarterfinal win, per NPR.
