Men’s Olympic hockey officially hits the ice Wednesday, and there’s plenty for NHL fans to keep an eye on-especially in Tampa Bay. Two Lightning blueliners, Erik Cernak and Victor Hedman, are suiting up for their countries and wearing letters while doing it. Cernak will serve as an alternate captain for Slovakia, while Hedman takes on the same leadership role for Sweden.
The puck drops on the tournament at 10:40 a.m. ET with Cernak and Slovakia facing off against Finland.
Later in the day, Hedman and Sweden open their campaign against Italy at 3:10 p.m. ET.
This year’s Olympic format features 12 teams, split into three groups of four:
Group A: Canada, Switzerland, Czechia, France
Group B: Finland, Sweden, Slovakia, Italy
Group C: United States, Germany, Latvia, Denmark
Each team plays three preliminary-round games. The tournament uses a three-point system to determine standings:
- 3 points for a regulation win
- 2 points for an overtime or shootout win
- 1 point for an overtime or shootout loss
After the group stage wraps, the top four teams overall (based on points and tiebreakers) earn a direct ticket to the quarterfinals. The remaining eight teams will battle it out in a single-elimination qualification round-win and move on, lose and go home.
From there, it’s a straight shot through the quarterfinals, semifinals, and the medal rounds. The bronze-medal game is set for Saturday, Feb. 21, and the gold-medal showdown will take place Sunday, Feb. 22 at 8:10 a.m. ET.
A few rule wrinkles to keep in mind:
- The rink dimensions are a slight twist on the NHL standard. The width remains the same at 85 feet, but the Olympic ice is just under 197 feet long-slightly shorter than the NHL’s 200-foot sheet. That could impact how teams manage space and structure, especially in transition.
- Overtime rules vary by stage: In the preliminary round, tied games go to a five-minute, 3-on-3 overtime.
Still deadlocked? It’s off to a shootout.
- During elimination games leading up to the gold medal, overtime stretches to 10 minutes of 3-on-3 before a shootout.
- The gold medal game is the exception-no shootout here.
If it’s tied after regulation, teams play full 20-minute, 3-on-3 overtime periods until someone scores. Sudden death, Olympic style.
- Shootout format: Each team selects five shooters for the initial round. If it’s still tied, players can shoot again in any order. Think of it like NHL All-Star Weekend meets Game 7 pressure.
- Discipline is tighter under international rules. Fighting leads to automatic ejection, and there’s a stricter interpretation of hits to the head. That means players will need to adjust their physical play to stay on the ice-and out of the penalty box.
- Five NHL referees are working the tournament, bringing a familiar standard to the officiating crew.
Here’s a look at the full preliminary round schedule:
Wednesday, Feb. 11
- Slovakia vs. Finland - 10:40 a.m.
ET
- Sweden vs.
Italy - 3:10 p.m. ET
Thursday, Feb. 12
- Switzerland vs. France - 6:10 a.m.
ET
- Czechia vs.
Canada - 10:40 a.m. ET
- Latvia vs. USA - 3:10 p.m.
ET
- Germany vs.
Denmark - 3:10 p.m. ET
Friday, Feb. 13
- Finland vs. Sweden - 6:10 a.m.
ET
- Italy vs.
Slovakia - 6:10 a.m. ET
- France vs. Czechia - 10:40 a.m.
ET
- Canada vs.
Switzerland - 3:10 p.m. ET
Saturday, Feb. 14
- Sweden vs. Slovakia - 6:10 a.m.
ET
- Germany vs.
Latvia - 6:10 a.m. ET
- Finland vs. Italy - 10:40 a.m.
ET
- USA vs.
Denmark - 3:10 p.m. ET
Sunday, Feb. 15
- Switzerland vs. Czechia - 6:10 a.m.
ET
- Canada vs.
France - 10:40 a.m. ET
- Denmark vs. Latvia - 1:10 p.m.
ET
- USA vs.
Germany - 3:10 p.m. ET
Knockout Rounds:
- **Tuesday, Feb.
17:** Qualification round (4 games)
- **Wednesday, Feb.
18:** Quarterfinals (4 games)
- **Friday, Feb.
20:** Semifinals - 10:40 a.m. ET & 3:10 p.m.
ET
- **Saturday, Feb.
21:** Bronze Medal Game - 2:40 p.m. ET
- Sunday, Feb. 22: Gold Medal Game - 8:10 a.m.
ET
With Olympic hockey back on the global stage, and NHL-caliber talent sprinkled across the rosters, this tournament promises high-stakes drama and national pride on full display. And for Lightning fans, there’s even more reason to tune in-Cernak and Hedman aren’t just representing their countries, they’re anchoring their blue lines in leadership roles. Let the chase for gold begin.