Tkachuk Brothers Spark Team USA in Olympic Opener, Canada Rolls, and Finland-Sweden Rivalry Heats Up
It didn’t take long for the Tkachuk brothers to make their mark on the 2026 Winter Olympics. Just over five minutes into Team USA’s opener against Latvia, Matthew Tkachuk threaded a pass to his younger brother Brady, who ripped a shot from the top of the right circle and beat Latvia’s Elvis Merzlikins for the first American goal of the tournament - and the first of Brady’s Olympic career.
That connection? Pure hockey DNA. A brother-to-brother moment on the Olympic stage, and the kind of play that sticks with you - whether you're in the locker room or watching from home.
Matthew finished the night with two assists as Team USA cruised to a 5-1 win in their Group C opener. But it wasn’t all smooth sailing.
Latvia challenged two U.S. goals in the first period - and won both - keeping things level at 1-1 for a while. Credit to Latvia for digging in early, but once the second period hit, the Americans found their stride and pulled away with three unanswered goals to take control.
For Latvia, Florida Panthers defenseman Uvis Balinskis managed two shots on goal, while Sandis Vilmanis added one. But the offense just couldn’t keep up with the U.S. firepower once the floodgates opened.
Earlier in the day, Canada looked every bit like a gold-medal contender, shutting out Czechia 5-0 in their Group A opener. All three Florida Panthers on the Canadian roster saw action, with Brad Marchand picking up an assist on Bo Horvat’s third-period goal.
And in a fun wrinkle late in the game, Tampa Bay Lightning head coach Jon Cooper - behind the bench for Canada - rolled out an all-Sunrise line, putting Sam Bennett between Marchand and Sam Reinhart. That trio didn’t find the back of the net, but it’s the kind of chemistry experiment that could pay off as the tournament progresses.
Looking ahead, Friday’s schedule brings one of the marquee matchups of the preliminary round: a rivalry clash between Finland and Sweden in Group B. Finland, coming off a tough 4-1 loss to Slovakia, will be looking to bounce back behind a roster that includes Eetu Luostarinen, Anton Lundell, and Niko Mikkola. On the other side, Sweden - who handled Italy 5-2 in their opener - counters with Gus Forsling and a confident squad.
Canada is also back on the ice Friday, facing a Swiss team that blanked France 4-0 in their first game. Puck drops at 3:10 p.m. ET.
Here’s how the men’s Olympic hockey slate is shaping up over the next few days:
2026 Winter Olympics - Men’s Hockey Schedule (All times ET)
Thursday Results:
- Group A: Switzerland 4, France 0; Canada 5, Czechia 0
- Group C: United States 5, Latvia 1; Germany 3, Denmark 1
Friday:
- Group B: Finland vs.
Sweden, 6:10 a.m.
- Group B: Italy vs.
Slovakia, 6:10 a.m.
- Group A: France vs.
Czechia, 10:40 a.m.
- Group A: Canada vs.
Switzerland, 3:10 p.m.
Saturday:
- Group B: Sweden vs.
Slovakia, 6:10 a.m.
- Group B: Finland vs.
Italy, 10:40 a.m.
- Group C: Germany vs.
Latvia, 6:10 a.m.
- Group C: USA vs.
Denmark, 3:10 p.m.
Sunday:
- Group A: Switzerland vs.
Czechia, 6:10 a.m.
- Group A: Canada vs.
France, 10:40 a.m.
- Group C: Denmark vs.
Latvia, 1:10 p.m.
- Group C: USA vs.
Germany, 3:10 p.m.
Looking Ahead:
- *Tuesday, Feb.
17:* Qualification Playoffs (6:10 a.m., 10:40 a.m., 3:10 p.m.)
- *Wednesday, Feb.
18:* Quarterfinals (6:10 a.m., 10:40 a.m., 12:10 p.m., 3:10 p.m.)
- *Friday, Feb.
20:* Semifinals (10:40 a.m., 3:10 p.m.)
- *Saturday, Feb.
21:* Bronze Medal Game (2:40 p.m.)
- *Sunday, Feb.
22:* Gold Medal Game (8:10 a.m.)
Florida Panthers at the 2026 Winter Olympics
The Cats are well represented in Milan-Cortina, with players and staff sprinkled across multiple national teams:
- United States: Matthew Tkachuk, Seth Jones (injured), Bill Zito (assistant GM), Teddy Richards (equipment manager)
- Canada: Sam Reinhart, Brad Marchand, Sam Bennett
- Finland: Eetu Luostarinen, Niko Mikkola, Anton Lundell, Tuomo Ruutu (assistant coach), Sasha Barkov (injured)
- Sweden: Gus Forsling, Myles Fee (video coach)
- Latvia: Uvis Balinskis, Sandis Vilmanis
- Germany: Jamie Kompon (assistant coach)
The Olympic stage always brings the best out of the game’s biggest names - and so far, the Panthers’ contingent is making its presence felt. Whether it’s the Tkachuk brothers lighting the lamp for Team USA or Marchand and company clicking for Canada, the early action is delivering exactly what we hoped for: high-level hockey with a little extra national pride in the mix.