Ice hockey, arguably Milano Cortina’s biggest – and certainly most star-studded – event, is already mired in uncertainty. The 2026 Winter Olympics are the first edition to bring together the best players in the National Hockey League. However, amid concerns about the speed of construction at PalaItalia Santa Giulia, the NHL recently pledged to remove its players from the tournament altogether if the venue did not meet its standards.
Sidney Crosby, Connor McDavid and Brad Marchand led Canada to victory over the United States in the NHL’s 4 Nations showdown a year ago, a tournament that served as a superb preview of what to expect in Italy this month. However, it is Zach Werenski of the American team who leads the scorers rankings. Matthew Tkachuk, Jack Eichel and Jake Oettinger are on the roster, as is Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews. After missing out due to illness 12 months ago, Cale Makar will be determined this time to make his mark for No.3-ranked Canada.
But this is not a two-horse race. In second place in the IIHF rankings, behind the United States, is Switzerland, which was drawn into Group A with Canada. Sweden, ranked No. 4, is the favorite in Group B.
Here’s where to watch Winter Olympics ice hockey live streams online from anywhere, potentially FREE.
Watch 2026 Winter Olympics Ice Hockey FREE
Ice hockey at the 2026 Winter Olympics will be available to stream for free in a number of countries, including the UK, Ireland, Australia and Canada.
🇫🇷 United Kingdom: BBC iPlayer
🇨🇦 Canada: The crown jewel of CBC
🇦🇺 Australia: 9Now
🇮🇪 Ireland: RTÉ Player
Do you live in the United States? All coverage provided by NBC, USA Network and CNBC is available for free with the 21-day trial for YouTube TV.
What if you are abroad? Winter sports fans in the UK, Canada, Australia and the Republic of Ireland can use Norton VPN to watch their usual streaming service wherever they are..
How to Watch Any Winter Olympics Ice Hockey Stream Using a VPN
How to watch live streams of Winter Olympics ice hockey in the United States
In the United States, coverage of the Winter Olympics ice hockey games is available through Peacock, NBC, USA Network and CNBC.
The Peacock streaming service should be your first port of call, as it streams every event live. You need at least a Peacock Premium subscription to access it, with Peacock pricing starting at $10.99 per month or $109.99 per year.
You’ll need to check your NBC, USA Network and CNBC schedules daily for more details on their ice hockey coverage. All three channels are available with most cable packages and OTT cable replacement services, like Sling TV or YouTube TV.
Outside the United States and want to watch ice hockey? To use NortonVPN to access Peacock or your cord cutter.
How to watch Winter Olympics ice hockey live streams in the UK
In the United Kingdom, coverage of the Winter Olympics is split between the BBC and TNT Sports.
A stream will be broadcast on BBC One or BBC Two, with a live stream available via BBC iPlayerwhile a separate, digital-only stream will be available on iPlayer and the BBC Sport website.
Just keep in mind that the BBC’s free coverage will likely only include a handful of ice hockey matches, mainly the later stages.
Want to watch every game? Discovery+ offers comprehensive coverage with prices starting at just £3.99/month for its basic plan.
Traveling away from the UK in February? Use a VPN to watch BBC iPlayer or Discovery+ from abroad.
How to watch Winter Olympics ice hockey live streams in Canada
In Canada, CBC holds the rights to broadcast ice hockey at the 2026 Winter Olympics.
You can watch select events on TV via the free CBC Sports channel or, for much more comprehensive live and on-demand coverage of Milano Cortina 2026, head to its online streaming platform CBC Gem where more than 2,000 hours of action will be shown during the Games, including every ice hockey match.
If you are not in Canada for Milano Cortina, simply use a VPN to connect from abroad.
How to watch live streams of Winter Olympics ice hockey in Australia
In Australia, the Winter Olympics are broadcast on 9Now and Stan Sport.
9Now hosts a selection of free coverage from Milano Cortina, but this will not include every ice hockey game.
For complete hockey coverage, you’ll need to subscribe to Stan Sports. It costs AU$20 (currently $10!) per month on top of a regular Stan subscription, which itself starts at AU$12 per month.
Are you far from Australia? Use a VPN to watch 9Now or Stan Sport from abroad.
How to watch live streams of Winter Olympics ice hockey in New Zealand
In New Zealand, Sky Sport Reviews shows ice hockey.
You can access Sky Sport via satellite TV or get a live stream with the Sky Sport Now subscription service, from $29.99 per day or $54.99 per month.
Do you miss ice hockey due to professional commitments abroad? NortonVPN will give you access to your home streaming service.
Ice Hockey at the Winter Olympics FAQ
What is the Winter Olympics ice hockey schedule?
(All times ET)
MEN’S OLYMPIC WINTER ICE HOCKEY SCHEDULE
Wednesday February 11
10:40 a.m. – Slovakia vs Finland
3:10 p.m. – Sweden vs Italy
Thursday February 12
6:10 a.m. – Switzerland vs France
10:40 a.m. – Czechia vs Canada
3:10 p.m. – Latvia vs USA
3:10 p.m. – Germany vs Denmark
Friday February 13
6:10 a.m. – Finland vs Sweden
6:10 a.m. – Italy vs Slovakia
10:40 a.m. – France vs Czechia
3:10 p.m. – Canada vs Switzerland
Saturday February 14
6:10 a.m. – Sweden vs Slovakia
6:10 a.m. – Germany vs Latvia
10:40 a.m. – Finland vs Italy
3:10 p.m. – USA vs Denmark
Sunday February 15
6:10 a.m. – Switzerland vs Czechia
10:40 a.m. – Canada vs. France
3:10 p.m. – United States vs. Germany
3:10 p.m. – Denmark vs Latvia
Tuesday February 17
6:10 a.m. – Qualification 1
6:10 a.m. – Qualification 2
10:40 a.m. – Qualification 3
3:10 p.m. – Qualification 4
Wednesday February 18
6:10 a.m. – Quarter-final 1
8:10 a.m. – Quarter-final 2
10:40 a.m. – Quarter-final 3
3:10 p.m. – Quarter-final 4
Friday February 20
10:40 a.m. – Semi-final 1
3:10 p.m. – Semi-final 2
Saturday February 21
2:40 p.m. – Bronze medal match
Sunday February 22
8:10 a.m. – Gold medal match
WOMEN’S OLYMPIC WINTER GAMES ICE HOCKEY SCHEDULE
Thursday February 5
6:10 a.m. – Sweden vs Germany
8:40 a.m. – Italy vs France
10:40 a.m. – USA vs Czechia
3:10 p.m. – Finland vs. Canada
Friday February 6
6:10 a.m. – France vs Japan
8:40 a.m. – Czechia vs Switzerland
Saturday February 7
6:10 a.m. – Germany vs Japan
8:40 a.m. – Sweden vs Italy
10:40 a.m. – USA vs Finland
3:10 p.m. – Switzerland vs Canada
Sunday February 8
10:40 a.m. – France vs Sweden
3:10 p.m. – Czechia vs Finland
Monday February 9
6:10 a.m. – Japan vs Italy
10:40 a.m. – Germany vs France
2:10 p.m. – Switzerland vs USA
3:10 p.m. – Canada vs Czechia
Tuesday February 10
6:10 a.m. – Japan vs Sweden
10:40 a.m. – Italy vs Germany
2:10 p.m. – Canada vs. United States
3:10 p.m. – Finland vs Switzerland
Friday February 13
10:40 a.m. – Quarter-final 1
3:10 p.m. – Quarter-final 2
Saturday February 14
10:40 a.m. – Quarter-final 3
3:10 p.m. – Quarter-final 4
Monday February 16
10:40 a.m. – Semi-final 1
3:10 p.m. – Semi-final 2
Thursday February 19
8:40 a.m. – Bronze medal match
1:10 p.m. – Gold medal match
Can I watch Winter Olympics ice hockey for free?
Yes! As we highlighted above, free coverage is available on BBC iPlayer in the United Kingdom, The crown jewel of CBC in Canada, 9Now in Australia and RTÉ Player in Ireland.
In the United States, NBC, USA Network and CNBC coverage is available via a free trial for YouTube TV.
Other free non-English language Olympics streams can be found on ORF (Austria), RTBF (Belgium), VRT (Belgium), DR (Denmark), France TV (France), RAI (Italy), Yle (Finland), ZDF (Germany), RUV (Iceland), NOS (Netherlands), NRK (Norway), TVP (Poland), RTVE (Spain), Canal Nu9ve (Mexico) and SRF RTS. channels (Switzerland).
Fans away from home can use a VPN to watch free coverage from abroad.
Can I watch Winter Olympics ice hockey on my mobile?
Of course, most broadcasters offer streaming services that you can access through mobile apps or through your phone’s browser.
You can also stay up to date with all things Autumn Nations on the official social channels on X (@MilanoCortina2026), YouTube (@Olympics) and Instagram (@milanocortina2026).
We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example: 1. Access a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service). 2. Protect your online security and strengthen your online privacy abroad. We do not support or condone illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consumption of paid pirated content is not endorsed or endorsed by Future Publishing.
