The Team USA men’s hockey team makes its debut at the 2018 Winter Olympics with a matchup against Slovenia on Wednesday morning. The group looks a lot different than we’re familiar with as a result of the NHL’s decision not to send players to Pyeongchang, but it’ll be trying to bring home its first Olympic gold medal since 1980.
USA vs. Slovenia 2018 live stream: Time, TV channel, and how to watch men’s Olympic hockey online
Team USA begins its quest to win Olympic gold for the first time since 1980.
Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images
Former 15-year NHL veteran and team captain Brian Gionta leads the American roster for the tournament, which runs from Wednesday through Feb. 24. He’s one of a few players with significant NHL experience on the team along with James Wisniewski, Jim Slater, and Mark Arcobello, among others.
It’s a far cry from the likes of Patrick Kane, Auston Matthews, Jack Eichel, and Johnny Gaudreau, but the same goes for pretty much every team in the tournament. Only the Olympic Athletes from Russia, which boasts KHL stars like Pavel Datsyuk and Ilya Kovalchuk, brings any sort of real star power to the event.
Slovenia is competing in Olympic men’s hockey for just the second time in the country’s history. The team made its first appearance at the Sochi Games in 2014, where it finished seventh. Los Angeles Kings superstar Anze Kopitar was a member of that team, although he’s obviously not around for this run.
A victory over Slovenia will be important for the U.S. to have a chance at a bye to the quarterfinals of the playoff stage. The team is in Group B, which also includes Slovakia and the Russian team. Beating the latter will be a major challenge, so wins over Slovakia and Slovenia will be important to avoid brutal seeding.
How to watch USA vs. Slovenia, 2018 Olympic men’s hockey
Time: 7:10 a.m. ET
Where: Kwandong Hockey Centre, Gangneung, South Korea
TV: NBCSN
Live Stream: NBC Olympics
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