Editor’s Note: USA men’s hockey is currently taking on Sweden in a quarterfinal matchup. Click here to view live updates of the game.

MILAN — It’s Wednesday, Feb. 18 at the 2026 Winter Olympics and we’re underway on another day of competition at the Milano Cortina Games.

In men’s slopestyle snowboarding, American Jake Canter came from far back in the pack to win a bronze medal. In the women’s slopestyle competition, Team USA’s Lily Dhawornvej and Jessica Perlmutter did not make the podium.

All four men’s ice hockey quarterfinals will be played Wednesday. Team USA plays Sweden, a squad loaded with NHL players.

USA TODAY Sports has a team of more than a dozen journalists on the ground in Italy to bring you behind the scenes with Team USA and keep you up to date with every medal win, big moment and triumphant finish. Get our Chasing Gold newsletter in your inbox every morning and join our WhatsApp channel to get the latest updates right in your texts.

USA men’s hockey takes 1-0 lead against Sweden

USA men’s hockey takes a 1-0 lead against Sweden in the second period, thanks to Dylan Larkin tipping in a Jack Hughes shot shortly after a faceoff win. The United States is outshooting Sweden 21-18 in the quarterfinal match.

Click here to view live updates of the USA men’s hockey vs. Sweden quarterfinal matchup.

USA men’s hockey, Sweden scoreless after first period

The USA had a strong start, running up a 6-0 edge in shots as U-S-A cheers reverberated from the stands. But about seven minutes in, the Swedes – who had played the night before – found their legs and gave as good as they got. Shots after 20 minutes were 10-10. – Helene St. James and Mike Brehm

Click here to view live updates of the USA men’s hockey vs. Sweden quarterfinal matchup.

How Sidney Crosby helped Canada rally at Olympics despite injury

MILAN — Even when he couldn’t be in the lineup because his right leg had buckled in ways legs shouldn’t, Sidney Crosby made a difference for Canada.

With the quarterfinal against Czechia tied after two periods, Crosby addressed his teammates. The gist of the message? Go get ’em.

Canada did. Mitch Marner scored 1:22 into overtime to seal a 4-3 victory, sending Canada to the semifinals on Feb. 20 at Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena. Whether the lineup will include Crosby is unknown; Canada coach Jon Cooper did not have an update immediately after the game.

‘He couldn’t come out for the third,’ Cooper said. ‘But he did address the players, and I think that was a big thing coming in is, that we lose this game − we didn’t want this to be Sid’s last game at this Olympics’ – Helene St. James

Mikaela Shiffrin’s Olympic gold was magnificent. Appreciate her greatness

CORTINA D’AMPEZZO, Italy — Mikaela Shiffrin didn’t need this Olympic gold medal.

Her legacy was secured long ago, between her other two Olympic golds, her World Cup wins record and all the other superlatives she’s achieved. But that’s never been good enough for the peanut gallery, which tunes in every four years and doesn’t understand why Shiffrin can’t just conjure gold medals out of snow.

Maybe now they’ll finally get off her back.

“The irony is I’ve cared so much about wanting everybody to know the reality and to not want to answer those questions and to be so sick and tired of it. And I’ve felt that way since (being) fourth in South Korea in the slalom,” Shiffrin said.

“In order to do this today, I kind of needed to accept the possibility that those questions would keep coming,” she said. “It was like, just don’t resist it. Just live in my own moment.”

And that moment? My God, was it magnificent.

Shiffrin obliterated the field in winning the Olympic slalom on Wednesday, Feb. 18, finishing a whopping 1.50 seconds ahead. Silver medalist Camille Rast was closer to 12th-place finisher Laurence St-Germain than she was to Shiffrin. – Nancy Armour

Canada survives scare to advance in Olympic men’s hockey

Canada can breathe a little easier. Its loaded men’s hockey team avoided a monumental upset in the Olympic quarterfinals for the second-straight time with a 4-3 overtime win against Czechia on Tuesday.

Mitch Marner of the Las Vegas Golden Knights was the hero, scoring the deciding goal 1 minute, 22 seconds into the 3-on-3 overtime period, knifing through the Czechia defense before flipping a backhanded shot into the back of the net. Nick Suzuki had tied the score at 3 late in the third period after Czechia took the lead for a second time in Tuesday’s quarterfinal.

The top-seeded Canadians will next face the lowest seed to advance to the Olympic semifinals. Slovakia also advanced to the semifinals in early quarterfinal action.

Canada, Czechia headed to OT in men’s hockey quarterfinals

Canada is still alive in its men’s hockey quarterfinal game against Czechia and a 10-minute, 3-on-3 overtime awaits to determine who makes the semifinals.

Canada tied the score at 3 with a goal from Montreal Canadians captain Nick Suzuki with less than four minutes remaining in regulation. Suzuki tipped a shot by teammate Devon Toews into the back of the net.

In case you’re wondering about Olympic hockey overtime rules, USA TODAY Sports has you covered by clicking here. Live updates from Canada vs. Czechia can be found here.

Sidney Crosby out, Canada on the ropes in men’s hockey quarterfinals

Team Canada men’s hockey captain Sidney Crosby has been ruled out for the rest of Tuesday’s quarterfinal game against Czechia due to a lower-body injury, according to Hockey Canada. But the top-seeded Canadians have bigger issues than that as Czechia has just taken the lead with less than eight minutes to go in the third period.

Ondrej Palat of the New York Islanders gave Czechia a 3-2 lead off a feed from Martin Necas that came as a result of a blocked shot by Tomas Hertl. This would be a huge upset after Canada beat Czechia, 5-0, in the preliminary round-robin games.

Sidney Crosby injured, Canada tied with Czechia in men’s hockey quarterfinals

It has become a tenuous Tuesday for the Canadian men’s hockey team. They’re locked in a tight quarterfinal game against Czechia, knotted at 2-2 after Nathan McKinnon scored on the power play more than halfway through the second period. But Canada might have to pull this one out with its captain, Sidney Crosby.

Crosby left the game shortly before Canada tied it up due to an injury he suffered after taking a hit near the boards. Crosby sat on the bench in pain for a few moments before heading to the locker room.

Canada trails Czechia in men’s hockey quarterfinals

Canada entered the Olympic men’s hockey quarterfinals as the top seed after a dominating run through preliminary round-robin action. But the Canadians are being tested by Czechia on Tuesday in their first elimination game of the 2026 Olympic tournament and they trail Czechia, 2-1, to start the second period.

David Pastrnak’s power-play goal nearly 15 minutes into the first period gave Czechia the lead. Canada quickly jumped out to a 1-0 advantage with a Macklin Celebrini even-strength goal, but a turnover in the neutral zone midway through the period allowed Radko Gudas and Roman Cervenka to set up Lukas Sedlak for an equalizer.

Canada beat Czechia, 5-0, to start off these Winter Olympics, so this is a surprising score despite the presence of plenty of NHL players on both rosters. Canada suffered a stunning in the quarterfinals of the 2022 Beijing Olympics.

Is this best USA women’s hockey team ever?

‘Absolutely,’ Olympic champion Monique Lamoureux told USA TODAY Sports on Tuesday.

Many talented squads have worn USA across their chests. There’s the 1998 team that clinched Olympic gold in the inaugural women’s competition in Nagano. The 2018 team topped the podium following a dramatic shootout in Pyeongchang, made possible by Lamoureux’s game-tying goal and her twin Jocelyne’s shootout winner.

But the 2026 U.S. women’s team could be the most complete squad we’ve seen on the Winter Olympics stage. The U.S. women have been unstoppable in their run to Thursday’s gold medal game against Canada. Depth is their superpower and they are firing on all cylinders, with nearly every player on the roster on the score sheet. Read more here. ‒ Cydney Henderson

USA hockey star Hilary Knight proposes to speed skater Brittany Bowe at Olympics

U.S. women’s hockey captain Hilary Knight is going for gold as the Americans prepare to face off against Canada on Thursday, but that’s not the only bling being dished out in Milan.

Knight proposed to U.S. speed-skater Brittany Bowe on Wednesday, Feb. 18, as both athletes compete at the 2026 Winter Olympics. It marks a full circle moment for the couple, who first met at the 2022 Beijing Winter Games.

‘Olympics brought us together. This one made us forever,’ Knight captioned an Instagram video of the proposal. Read more here. ‒ Cydney Henderson

No USA medal in women’s snowboard slopestyle

Jess Perlmutter had a nice second run that resulted in a 68.18 and momentarily put her in fourth place heading into the final run of the women’s snowboard slopestyle event, but the competition was too stiff for the young Americans. Perlmutter finished in sixth place, while Lily Dhawornvej came in 11th.

Both are 16 years old, so the future is bright for the upstart Americans.

Zoi Sadowski Synnott of New Zealand nearly defended her gold medal with an electric final run, but came up just short behind Japan’s Mari Fukada. Kokomo Murase, also of Japan, took bronze. – Chris Bumbaca

Lindsey Vonn shares heartbreaking update ahead of latest surgery

Skier Lindsey Vonn has had a heartbreaking Winter Olympics already after crashing out and suffering severe leg injuries in the women’s downhill. But that athletic disappointment seems trivial in comparison to what she’s experienced off the slopes.

‘This has been an incredibly hard few days,’ Vonn wrote in a social media post. ‘Probably the hardest of my life.’

On her Instagram account, Vonn revealed that her dog Leo died the day after her crash at the Milano Cortina Games: ‘Heading in for more surgery today. Will be thinking of him when I close my eyes. I will love you forever my big boy.’

Slovakia defeats Germany in men’s hockey quarterfinals

The Germans, confident they were hitting their stride, stumbled instead, losing 6-2 to plucky Slovakia, who went from group winner to Olympic semifinalist. The Slovakians, well-rested from having two days between games, made it 1-0 in the first period on a goal from Pavol Regenda. Slovakia really took over in the second period, with goals from Milos Kelemen and Oliver Okuliar 33 seconds apart early in the second period, prompting Germany to take a timeout. 

Dalibor Dvorsky furthered the damage to 4-0 before Lukas Reichel put Germany on the board.

Regenda scored again in the third period, and Frederik Tiffels edged Germany within three goals with 11 minutes to play. Tomas Tatar put his Slovaks back up by four with an empty-net goal with 3:27 to play.

The Germans looked tired from having played the previous day, needing to advance to the quarterfinals by beating France in a qualification game. — Helene St. James

US teens in striking distance after slopestyle opening run

The first run of women’s snowboard slopestyle finals ended with the two American teenagers representing the Stars and Stripes, Jess Perlmutter and Lily Dhawronvej, in sixth and seventh place, respectively.

The defending gold medalist in the event, New Zealand’s Zoi Sadowski-Synnott, was in third. Kokomo Murase of Japan was in first. − Chris Bumbaca

Mikaela Shiffrin is golden again in slalom

As the last skier down the mountain in the women’s slalom, Mikaela Shiffrin delivered when it mattered most.

After winning gold in the event in 2014, but suffering through disappointment the past two Olympics, Shiffrin came through with the run of her life and returned to the top of the podium.

She took a massive lead of 0.82 seconds into the second run. And she put her stamp on the final event of the Alpine skiing competition by posting a combined time of 1:39.10, a full 1.5 seconds ahead of silver medalist Camille Rast of Switzerland.

It’s Shiffrin’s fourth medal in the Winter Olympics − tying her with with Julia Mancuso for most by a U.S. woman in Alpine skiing.

USA stuns with silver in men’s cross-country skiing 

Entering the 2026 Winter Olympics, Team USA had only won four cross-country skiing medals in Olympic history. The Americans have nearly matched that in Milano Cortina alone after picking up another medal.

Team USA claimed silver in the men’s team sprint free. Ben Ogden and Gus Schumacher posted a time of 18:30.35 for the U.S. cross-country skiing team’s third podium finish after Jessie Diggins claimed bronze in the women’s 10km and Ogden won bronze in the individual sprint.

Ogden and Schumacher finished 1.37 seconds off the top pace of Norway as Johannes Høsflot Klæbo won his record 10th Olympic Winter Games gold medal. − Cydney Henderson

Freestyle skiing: US duo advance in women’s aerials

Team USA’s Kaila Kuhn produced a clutch triple jump on her second attempt to score a 109.9 and advance to the top-six finals of the women’s aerials.American Winter Vinecki (107.75) advanced as well, giving the U.S. team two medal hopefuls in the final six of finals. — Gentry Estes

Freestyle skiing: Women’s aerials through one round

The Americans have some ground to make up after the first round of two jumps in the women’s aerials final.Winter Vinecki (99.89) is in sixth place, while USA teammates Kaila Kuhn (87.00) is in ninth and Tasia Tanner (85.36) in 11th.The top six finalists will advance to the medal round after two different jumps, with the best one counting.Australia’s Danielle Scott leads with a 117.19. — Gentry Estes

USA’s Jake Canter earns shocking bronze in slopestyle

With a spectacular final run, American snowboarder Jake Canter won bronze in the men’s slopestyle competition.

Canter was in 10th after the first two runs, but went all out for his third and final run of the day. He flipped an extra rotation off the last rail element, stomped his last two jumps and raised both arms in excitement as he went to the finish area.

Awaiting his score, he made the sign for ‘prayer hands.” The shred gods delivered a nice number on his behalf — 79.36.

China’s Su Yiming took gold and was by far the most consistent rider of the day. His best score was 82.41 on his first run. Taiga Hasegawa from Japan took silver with 82.13, also secured in his first run.

Team USA veteran Red Gerard placed sixth with a best score of 76.60. And 17-year-old Ollie Martin came in ninth with a 75.36. − Chris Bumbaca

Winter Vinecki, Tasia Tanner join Kalia Kuhn in freestyle skiing aerials finals

Winter Vinecki and Tasia Tanner of the USA advanced in the second stage of morning qualifying in the women’s freestyle skiing aerials and will join Kalia Kuhn in the afternoon’s finals.Kuhn advanced among the top six jumps in the first stage, and the top six after the second stage advanced, too, making 12 finalists out of the 25 skiers in the field.Vinecki was fourth after the second qualifying (10th overall), and Tanner just made it on the bubble, finishing sixth (12th overall among finalists).The other American in the field, Kyra Dossa, finished 14th overall and did not advance.The finals will start in about 90 minutes. — Gentry Estes

Mikaela Shiffrin takes massive lead into second slalom run

The gold is Mikaela Shiffrin’s to lose.

Shiffrin takes a massive lead into the second run of the slalom, the last Alpine event at the 2026 Milano Cortina Olympics. She is 0.82 seconds ahead of Germany’s Lena Duerr.

Just how commanding is that? There is as much difference between Shiffrin and Duerr as there is between Duerr and Katharina Truppe. Who is 10th.

Shiffrin had said she had a ‘really wonderful’ training session after the team combined and it showed. Aside from a slight bobble in a tricky combination about midway through the course, Shiffrin had a perfect run. She was aggressive and confident, her technique so solid she appeared to flow from one gate into the next.

The start order for the second run is a reverse of the results from the first, meaning Shiffrin will go last.  — Nancy Armour

Kalia Kuhn advances to finals for freestyle skiing aerials

American Kalia Kuhn has advanced directly into this afternoon’s finals of the Olympic women’s aerials competition by finishing sixth in the first jumps of morning qualifying.

Other members of the U.S. team – Winter Vinecki (9th), Tasia Tanner (12th) and Kyra Dossa (23rd) – will have opportunity with another jump in the second stage of qualifying. The top 6 in each qualifying round advance to the finals, making 12 total out of a field of 25 competitors.

A long day is underway. Heavy snow in Livigno this week prompted organizers to change the schedule and put the qualifying and finals for women’s aerials on the same day. — Gentry Estes

Where to watch Olympics today

Watch all 2026 Winter Olympics events on NBC and Peacock.

Watch Olympics on Peacock

Olympics schedule today

All times Eastern and accurate as of Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026, at 5:34 p.m.

3 a.m. – Nordic Combined: Large Hill Official Training 4, Predazzo Ski Jumping Stadium (Val di Fiemme)
3:05 a.m. – Curling: Women’s Round Robin – CHN vs. DEN, Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium (Cortina d’Ampezzo)
3:05 a.m. – Curling: Women’s Round Robin – USA vs. GBR, Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium (Cortina d’Ampezzo)
3:05 a.m. – Curling: Women’s Round Robin – SWE vs. KOR, Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium (Cortina d’Ampezzo)
3:45 a.m. – Cross-Country Skiing: Women’s Team Sprint Free Qualification, Tesero Cross-Country Skiing Stadium (Val di Fiemme)
4 a.m. – Alpine Skiing: Women’s Slalom Run 1, Tofane Alpine Skiing Centre (Cortina d’Ampezzo)
4 a.m. – Bobsleigh: 4-man Official Training Heat 1 & 2, Cortina Sliding Centre (Cortina d’Ampezzo)
4:15 a.m. – Cross-Country Skiing: Men’s Team Sprint Free Qualification , Tesero Cross-Country Skiing Stadium (Val di Fiemme)
5:30 a.m. – Freestyle Skiing: Women’s Aerials Finals – medal event, Livigno Snow Park (Livigno, Valtellina)
5:45 a.m – Cross-Country Skiing: Women’s Team Sprint Free Final , Tesero Cross-Country Skiing Stadium (Val di Fiemme)
6:10 a.m. – Ice Hockey: Men’s Playoffs Quarterfinals – Slovakia vs. Germany , Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena
6:15 a.m. – Cross-Country Skiing: Men’s Team Sprint Free Final , Tesero Cross-Country Skiing Stadium (Val di Fiemme)
6:30 a.m. – Snowboard: Men’s Slopestyle Final – medal event, Livigno Snow Park (Livigno, Valtellina)
7:30 a.m. – Alpine Skiing: Women’s Slalom Run 2 – medal event, Tofane Alpine Skiing Centre (Cortina d’Ampezzo)
8 a.m. – Bobsleigh: 2-Woman Official Training, Cortina Sliding Centre (Cortina d’Ampezzo)
8:05 a.m. – Curling: Men’s Round Robin – ITA vs. CAN, Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium (Cortina d’Ampezzo)
8:05 a.m. – Curling: Men’s Round Robin – CHN vs. CZA, Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium (Cortina d’Ampezzo)
8:05 a.m. – Curling: Men’s Round Robin – NOR vs. SUI, Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium (Cortina d’Ampezzo)
8:05 a.m. – Curling: Men’s Round Robin – USA vs. GBR, Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium (Cortina d’Ampezzo)
6:30 a.m. – Snowboard: Women’s Slopestyle Final – medal event, Livigno Snow Park (Livigno, Valtellina)
8:45 a.m. – Biathlon: Women’s 4 x 6km Relay – medal event, Anterselva Biathlon Arena (Antholz)
10:40 a.m. – Ice Hockey: Men’s Playoffs Quarterfinals – Canada vs. Czechia , Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena
12:10 p.m. – Ice Hockey: Men’s Playoffs Quarterfinals – Finland vs. Switzerland , Milano Rho Ice Hockey Arena
1:05 p.m. – Curling: Women’s Round Robin – GBR vs. JPN, Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium (Cortina d’Ampezzo)
1:05 p.m. – Curling: Women’s Round Robin – SUI vs. DEN, Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium (Cortina d’Ampezzo)
1:05 p.m. – Curling: Women’s Round Robin – CAN vs. ITA, Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium (Cortina d’Ampezzo)
1:05 p.m. – Curling: Women’s Round Robin – CHN vs. SWE, Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium (Cortina d’Ampezzo)
2:15 p.m. – Short Track: Men’s 500m Quarterfinals, Milano Ice Skating Arena (Milan)
2:45 p.m. – Short Track: Men’s 500m Semifinals, Milano Ice Skating Arena (Milan)
2:51 p.m. – Short Track: Women’s 3000m Relay Final B, Milano Ice Skating Arena (Milan)
3 p.m. – Short Track: Women’s 3000m Relay Final A – medal event, Milano Ice Skating Arena (Milan)
3:10 p.m. – Ice Hockey: Men’s Playoffs Quarterfinals – USA vs. Sweden , Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena
3:27 p.m. – Short Track: Men’s 500m Final B, Milano Ice Skating Arena (Milan)
3:32 p.m. – Short Track: Men’s 500m Semifinals, Milano Ice Skating Arena (Milan)

Olympics medal count

Following competition on Tuesday, Feb. 17, Norway continues to dominate the medal standings with 31 (14 gold, eight silver and nine bronze). Host nation Italy as the second-most medals with 24, followed by the United States (21), Germany (20) and Japan (19).

More 2026 Winter Olympics

Green Bay men’s basketball coach Doug Gottlieb has been suspended by the Horizon League for his postgame comments about referees.

The Horizon League announced it was suspending Gottlieb for one game for his comments following a 75-72 loss to in-state rival Wisconsin-Milwaukee on Sunday, Feb. 15. As a result, he will miss the Phoenix’s matchup against Oakland on Friday, Feb. 20.

‘The Horizon League is suspending Green Bay men’s basketball head coach Doug Gottlieb for violating the League’s Operating Regulations on Sunday, Feb. 15,’ the league wrote in a statement shared on X.

The post also added that it considers the matter closed and will have no further comment.

Shortly after the league announced the discipline, Gottlieb took to his own personal X (formerly Twitter) account to apologize for his actions.

‘I’d like to apologize to the Horizon League and the officials for my disparaging comments following Sunday’s game,’ Gottlieb wrote. ‘I understand and appreciate how difficult their job is, and respect what they do for the sport of basketball. I will be better moving forward.’

Gottlieb was upset about a foul call against his best player, CJ O’Hara, which was his fourth and came with 4:25 left in the game. The Phoenix led by four at the time, but the foul changed the direction of the game.

Later on, Gottlieb was further angered by a no-call for a foul when his player drove to the hoop for a potential game-winning shot with just a few seconds remaining.

‘You had the exact same play at both ends on the last play of the game,’ Gottlieb said to reporters, pausing momentarily to aggressively slam his fists onto the table.

‘The exact same [expletive] play!’ he yelled, ‘The exact same play!’

Gottlieb also took exception to a technical foul he was hit with, with just under seven minutes left in the game.

‘I need the new commissioner of the Horizon League to explain to me what a technical foul is when I don’t leave the box, I don’t curse, I’m not demonstrative,’ Gottlieb said. ‘There was nothing, nothing that should have been called a technical foul. I know when I earn one. I did not earn one.

‘The CJ play, we’re up [four] points, that dramatically changed the [trajectory] of the game.’

For the game, Milwaukee shot 37 free throws, while Green Bay shot 19, despite drawing only five more fouls. 

‘All we ask is that there’s a fair game. That’s what we ask,’ Gottlieb said. ‘CJ O’Hara goes and gets an offensive rebound, their player dives at his legs and CJ gets called for a foul. I need [Jill Bodensteiner] at the league, our new commissioner, to explain to me the disparity in the officiating. That’s what I need explained to me.’

‘This is all my fault,’ he told reporters in Lakeland, Florida regarding a positive test for marijuana that will prevent him from representing Puerto Rico in next month’s World Baseball Classic.

‘I’m the one that failed the test. It really hurts my family, my reputation, but it’s part of it. Other than that, I got a long season to go, and I got to prepare for that.’

Báez, a Detroit Tigers 2025 All-Star, would not have been caught up in a positive test simply under MLB’s auspices. The league has not tested members of the 40-man roster for marijuana and after the 2019 season stopped suspending minor league players for positive tests for pot.

Yet the World Baseball Softball Federation, which administers the WBC, still considers it a banned substance, even in this era when other governing bodies prefer players use marijuana rather than opioids to manage pain and other maladies.

His suspension landed at a particularly inopportune time for Puerto Rico’s squad, which learned the same week that fellow All-Star shortstop Francisco Lindor will not play due to insurance concerns; Lindor eventually suffered a hamate bone injury, anyway.

Báez, 33, is expected to play a key multi-positional role again for the Tigers. He just hoped to rep his home territory in the WBC before then.

‘I understand the rules,’ says Báez, per the Detroit Free Press, part of the USA TODAY Network. ‘It’s not like I was taking steroids or anything to last longer or whatever. They made that decision.

‘I’m fine with it – I mean, I’m not fine with it. I just keep my mouth shut.’

Athletes from more than 90 countries will compete for Winter Olympic medals in 116 events over 16 days, and USA TODAY is keeping a tally of every nation finishing on the podium. Here’s a look at the latest medal standings on the morning of Wednesday, Feb. 18, as well as when each medal event will take place.

USA TODAY Sports has a team of more than a dozen journalists on the ground in Italy to bring you behind the scenes with Team USA and keep you up to date with every medal win, big moment and triumphant finish. Get our Chasing Gold newsletter in your inbox every morning and join our WhatsApp channel to get the latest updates right in your texts.

Broadcast coverage of the 2026 Milano Cortino Winter Olympics is airing exclusively airing across NBC’s suite of networks with many competitions airing live on its streaming service, Peacock, which you can sign up for here.

What is the medal count at the 2026 Milano Cortina Olympics?

All data accurate as of Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026, at 3:18 p.m.

Meet Team USA 2026: Get to know the athletes behind the games

1. Norway: 33 Total (15 Gold, 8 Silver, 10 Bronze)
2. Italy: 26 Total (9 Gold, 5 Silver, 12 Bronze)
3. United States: 24 Total (7 Gold, 11 Silver, 6 Bronze)
4. Japan: 22 Total (5 Gold, 6 Silver, 11 Bronze)
5. Germany: 21 Total (5 Gold, 8 Silver, 8 Bronze)
6. Austria: 17 Total (5 Gold, 8 Silver, 4 Bronze)
6. France: 17 Total (6 Gold, 7 Silver, 4 Bronze)
8. Sweden: 15 Total (6 Gold, 6 Silver, 3 Bronze)
8. Netherlands: 15 Total (6 Gold, 7 Silver, 2 Bronze)
10. Canada: 14 Total (4 Gold, 4 Silver, 6 Bronze)
11. Switzerland: 12 Total (5 Gold, 4 Silver, 3 Bronze)
12. China: 9 Total (2 Gold, 3 Silver, 4 Bronze)
13. South Korea: 7 Total (2 Gold, 2 Silver, 3 Bronze)
13. Australia: 6 Total (3 Gold, 2 Silver, 1 Bronze)
15. Czech Republic: 4 Total (2 Gold, 2 Silver, 0 Bronze)
16. Slovenia: 4 Total (2 Gold, 1 Silver, 1 Bronze)
17. Poland: 4 Total (0 Gold, 3 Silver, 1 Bronze)
18. Finland: 4 Total (0 Gold, 0 Silver, 4 Bronze)
19. Great Britain: 3 Total (3 Gold, 0 Silver, 0 Bronze)
19. New Zealand: 3 Total (0 Gold, 2 Silver, 1 Bronze)
21. Latvia: 2 Total (0 Gold, 1 Silver, 1 Bronze)
21. Bulgaria: 2 Total (0 Gold, 0 Silver, 2 Bronze)
23. Brazil: 1 Total (1 Gold, 0 Silver, 0 Bronze)
24. Kazakhstan: 1 Total (1 Gold, 0 Silver, 0 Bronze)
25. Georgia: 1 Total (0 Gold, 1 Silver, 0 Bronze)
26. Belgium: 1 Total (0 Gold, 0 Silver, 1 Bronze)

2026 Winter Olympics upcoming medal events schedule

Feb. 19

FREESTYLE SKIING: Men’s Aerials Final
SKI MOUNTAINEERING: Women’s, Men’s Sprint
NORDIC COMBINED: Team Sprint/Large Hill 2×7.5km
ICE HOCKEY: Women’s Final
SPEED SKATING: Men’s 1500m
FIGURE SKATING: Women’s Free Skate

Feb. 20

FREESTYLE SKIING: Women’s Cross Final
BIATHLON: Men’s 15km Mass Start
SPEED SKATING: Women’s 1500m
CURLING: Men’s Bronze Medal Game
FREESTYLE SKIING: Men’s Halfpipe Final
SHORT TRACK: Men’s 5000m Relay Final
SHORT TRACK: Women’s 1500m Final

Feb. 21

CROSS-COUNTRY SKIING: Men’s 50km Mass Start Classic
FREESTYLE SKIING: Mixed Team Aerials Final
FREESTYLE SKIING: Men’s Cross Final
SKI MOUNTAINEERING: Mixed Relay
CURLING: Men’s Gold Medal Game, Women’s Bronze Medal Game
BIATHLON: Women’s 12.5km Mass Start
SPEED SKATING: Men’s, Women’s Mass Start
FREESTYLE SKIING: Women’s Halfpipe Final
ICE HOCKEY: Men’s Bronze Medal Game
BOBSLED: Women’s Doubles: Heat 4

Feb. 22

CROSS-COUNTRY SKIING: Women’s 50km Mass Start Classic
CURLING: Women’s Gold Medal Game
BOBSLED: Men’s Quads Final
ICE HOCKEY: Men’s Gold Medal Game

If only saving money in daily life was as easy it is in the NFL.

The Kansas City Chiefs were able to free up $43.6 million in salary cap space on Feb. 18 by restructuring quarterback Patrick Mahomes’ contract, per reports.

Before the restructure, the Chiefs’ star quarterback was set to enter the 2026 league year with a $78.2 million cap hit, according to OverTheCap. Instead, Kansas City converted $54.5 million of Mahomes’ 2026 salary and roster bonus into a signing bonus, dropping his cap hit to $34.7 million this year.

The Chiefs, who entered the offseason more than $54 million over the salary cap, according to OverTheCap, save $43.6 million with the restructure. They still remain roughly $11 million over the projected 2026 salary cap, which will be between $301.2 million and $305.7 million per team according to USA TODAY Sports’ reporting on Jan. 30.

Mahomes is entering the fifth year of the 10-year, $450 million contract extension he signed in 2020. In 2023, the star quarterback and Kansas City agreed to restructure his contract to pay him $210.6 million in guaranteed money between 2023 and 2026.

One year later, another Mahomes contract restructure opened up $21.6 million in cap room for 2024, and last year, the Chiefs created $49 million in cap space by restructuring Mahomes’ and Chris Jones’ contracts.

Mahomes’ contract is now due for an $85.3 million cap hit next year, though reports surrounding the quarterback’s 2023 restructure indicated that he and the Chiefs would revisit his contract after 2026.

Mahomes and the Chiefs missed the playoffs for the first time in his career in 2025. The two-time NFL MVP tore his ACL and LCL in a December game against the Los Angeles Chargers, cutting short a season that featured a career-low 62.7% completion rate and a 6-8 record as a starter. Mahomes is rehabbing and recovering from the injury and hopes to be ready by Week 1, Chiefs owner Clark Hunt said on Jan. 27.

Chiefs cap space

Cap space: -$11.4 million

According to OverTheCap, the Chiefs are still projected to be more than $11 million over the 2026 salary cap. They rank 28th in the NFL in cap space with just under one month left before the start of the free agency negotiating period and new league year.

Patrick Mahomes cap hits by year

Here’s how much the remainder of Mahomes’ contract is worth in salary cap hits over the next six seasons, per Spotrac:

2026: $34,653,888
2027: $85,253,888
2028: $53,014,000
2029: $55,414,000
2030: $56,415,000
2031: $48,375,000

Given that Mahomes and the Chiefs indicated in 2023 that they’d revisit his contract structure after 2026, it’s likely these numbers will change before Mahomes’ cap hit ever reaches that $85.3 million number next year.

Team Canada captain Sidney Crosby skated slowly toward the dressing room after a heavy check during an Olympics quarterfinal game on Wednesday, Feb. 18.

He did not return to the ice with his teammates after the intermission between the second and third periods, and Hockey Canada said shortly afterward he is out for the rest of the game with a lower body injury.

The Pittsburgh Penguins star was checked by Czechia defenseman Radek Gudas during the second period and then by two Czech players along the boards, and on replay, it his right leg appeared to buckle. As he skated away, he was limping slightly. He eventually went to the dressing room.

Czechia was leading 2-1 at the time of the injury, but the Canadians pulled out a 4-3 overtime win.

This is Crosby’s third Olympics. He won in 2010, scoring the golden goal in overtime in the championship game against the United States. He also won in 2014.

Crosby had two goals and four assists in the preliminary round as Canada went 3-0.

This story will be updated when more information becomes available.

Watch Winter Olympics on Peacock

Olympic men’s hockey scores and schedule today

All times Eastern.

Slovakia 6, Germany 2
Canada 4, Czechia 3 (OT)
12:10 p.m. – Finland vs. Switzerland, quarterfinals on Peacock
3:10 p.m. – USA vs. Sweden, quarterfinals on NBC, Peacock

Where to watch Olympic men’s hockey

USA TODAY at the Milano Cortina Games

USA TODAY Sports has a team of more than a dozen journalists on the ground in Italy to bring you behind the scenes with Team USA and keep you up to date with every medal win, big moment and triumphant finish. Get our Chasing Gold newsletter in your inbox every morning and join our WhatsApp channel to get the latest updates right in your texts.

The 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics are off and running with 16 sports taking over 25 different venues. The games are exclusively airing across NBC’s suite of networks with many events airing live on its streaming service, Peacock, which you can sign up for here.

MILAN — Is this the best U.S. women’s national hockey team we’ve ever seen?

‘Absolutely,’ Olympic champion Monique Lamoureux told USA TODAY Sports on Tuesday.

Many talented squads have worn USA across their chests. There’s the 1998 team that clinched Olympic gold in the inaugural women’s competition in Nagano. The 2018 team topped the podium following a dramatic shootout in Pyeongchang, made possible by Lamoureux’s game-tying goal and her twin Jocelyne’s shootout winner.

But the 2026 U.S. women’s team could be the most complete squad we’ve seen on the Winter Olympics stage. The U.S. women have been unstoppable in their run to Thursday’s gold medal game against Canada. Depth is their superpower and they are firing on all cylinders, with nearly every player on the roster on the score sheet.

‘Everyone up and down the lineup is contributing,” said Lamoureux. ‘Sometimes you get a line that’s really hot at an Olympics or in a tournament and you really lean on that line, but to see them all performing at the same tournament… that’s really good to see.”

That’s not an exaggeration by any means. Team USA has outscored opponents, 31-1, through six games with 19 players registering at least one point. Fifteen players have found the back of the net. And offense isn’t the only thing rolling. USA’s three goalies have combined for five consecutive shutouts.

“Anytime I put on the jersey I just feel so lucky to be part of this group,” starting goalie Aerin Frankel said. ‘There’s so much talent in our locker room. It’s just so much fun to play with the best players in the world.”

What makes the U.S women’s hockey team the best we’ve ever seen? USA TODAY Sports asked three-time Olympic medalist Monique Lamoureux ahead of Thursday’s gold medal match.

Monique Lamoureux weighs in on Team USA

The U.S. women’s national team has numerous offensive threats, which will force Canada to pick your poison. Lamoureux said the reigning Olympic champions will likely look to shut down defender Caroline Harvey, who leads the ‘most offensively skilled defensive core from top to bottom that we’ve ever seen.’

Harvey is one of 11 players returning from the 2022 Beijing Games, where the U.S. settled for silver following a devastating 3-2 loss to Canada, the nation’s fourth runner-up finish to the Canadians at the Olympics. That’s a defeat that likely remains in the back of their heads. It’s not a loss that’s easy to get over, but it has served as fuel for their dominant run in Milan. 

‘When you lose at the Olympics, it’s unlike anything else when you have to watch the other team celebrate for 30 to 40 minutes before they bring the medals out,” Lamoureux told USA TODAY Sports. ‘That’s something that sticks with you. So I’m sure they’ve used it as motivation.”

Harvey walked away from Beijing with the most motivation. She made her Olympic debut at age 19 as the youngest member of Team USA in 2022, but her lack of ice time (only about a minute in total) deeply rattled her confidence. Harvey has responded in historic fashion and is now one of the best players on ice.

The 23-year-old senior at the University of Wisconsin leads all women at the Olympics with nine points — seven assists and two goals — marking a record for an American defender at the Olympics.

‘Really you can take that one of two ways… but to come back four years later and be one of the top, or if not the top player on the U.S. for this tournament, speaks to her character and just the people she surrounded herself with to put her in a position that she’s in now,’ Lamoureux said.

Harvey leads a young core of stars that represent both the present and future of the national team. While the veterans — like five-time Olympian Hilary Knight and four-time Olympian Kendall Coyne Schofield — have anchored the team, the twelve players making Olympic debuts have infused youth into the lineup.

Seven players are still in college, but you wouldn’t be able to tell by their sheer production. The young stars are unphased by the moment and have successfully ‘made that jump from college or the pros to the international level,’ Lamoureux said, which isn’t easy despite how the U.S. rookies make it look.

‘Everyone tells you when you’re preparing (for the Olympics), prepare like any other tournament… Well, I feel like most people that tell you that have not been to the Olympics,’ added Lamoureux. ‘The pressure when you’re only there once every four years and the amount of eyes that are on you, it’s unlike anything else… It seems like they’re handling it very well and they’re managing everything very well.’

Lamoureux will have her eyes out for the second line of Hannah Bilka, Taylor Heise and Abbey Murphy on Thursday. Bilka was on the starting line for the first three games of the tournament, before moving to the second line ahead of USA’s 5-0 shutout of Canada Feb. 10. The move paid off as Bilka scored two of her four goals in the Canadian rout.

‘They’re just a bunch of spark plugs out there. They move fast, they’re creative, they play really hard and with an edge,’ Lamoureux said of the second line. ‘I know everyone’s talking about Abbey Murphy and how she plays with a chip on her shoulder and she gets under the other team’s skin. So I’d like to think that’s how my sister and I played when we were on the ice. So I love watching her play.’

Team USA’s three goalkeepers are also first-time Olympians, but have been solid in front of the net. Team USA conceded only one goal in its Olympic opener against Czechia, but has since kept opponents off the score sheet for the last 331:23 minutes of play. Frankel has recorded three of Team USA’s five shutouts, becoming the first goaltender in do so in women’s Olympic hockey.

Lamoureux praised Frankel’s skill ability to stay focused and engaged in front of the net.

‘She’s small for a goalie. So her athleticism and her ability to read plays, I think it is just at an elite level,’ Lamoureux said, pointing to her performance against Sweden on Monday. ‘(Frankel) had two shots in the first period and then in the second period she gets 13 shots. Those are not easy games to play in…Her and the other goalies have been ready at every step of the way.’

What to expect in USA vs. Canada gold medal match?

The USA-Canada women’s ice hockey rivalry is like no other in sports. Although the players taking the ice in Thursday’s gold-medal match have played together in the PWHL, Lamoureux said there will still be fireworks. The Americans shut out the Canada for the first time in Olympic history Feb. 10, further adding fuel to the flame, but the Canadians will have five-time Olympian Marie-Philip Poulin back in the lineup after injury.

‘When you’re putting on your country’s jersey and you’re going against Canada, there’s certainly no love lost,’ added Lamoureux, who expects a physical and heated matchup. ‘As far as offensive threats, the US definitely has a lot more of ’em for sure…We’re going to see some awesome hockey on Thursday.’

Team USA is one win away from securing its first gold medal since 2018, which would cap Hilary Knight’s prolific Olympic career with her fifth medal and second gold. Knight is one point and one goal away from setting all-time U.S. Olympic records. She’s also one medal away from the U.S. Olympic record.

‘It would be pretty amazing to see her top it off with one more gold medal,’ Lamoureux said. ‘Some people were kind of counting her out and saying she was past her prime… to see her continue to produce at an elite level and just to be able to sustain a career like that for so long is, I mean, there’s not that many people who’ve done it.’

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