USA Hockey Turns Early Frustration Into Smiles, Opening Olympics with Group C Victory Against Latvia

Photo Credit: Andrea Cardin/IIHF

Milan, Italy — The 2026 Winter Olympics are underway, and USA Hockey is off to a fast start in Milano. For the first time since 2014, NHL players are back at the Olympics, and the US is taking full advantage.

Opening pool play, the United States of America dominated Latvia, skating to a 5-1 victory and claiming all three points. Twenty-three US players made their Olympic debuts tonight, with Brock Faber (’22) and Jake Sanderson (’22) the only returning players.

Brady Tkachuck got the scoring started on an assist from his brother Matthew in the first period, and then the floodgates opened in the second. Brock Nelson scored twice off feeds from Jack Hughes, while Tage Thompson scored the Americans’ first power play goal of the game. Captain Auston Matthews made the score 5-1 with a power play goal in the third period to secure the US a match-day one victory.

Goaltender Connor Hellebuyck made seventeen saves on eighteen shots inbetween the pipes for the US.

With the win, USA Hockey jumps to the top of Group C with three points alongside Germany. Latvia, on the other side of the ice, is at the bottom after allowing five goals tonight.

US Olympic News:

• USA Blanks Canada 5–0 in Olympic Statement Win, Sets Stage for Knockout Hockey
• U.S. Curling Mixed Doubles Team Gets Silver as Sweden Takes the Gold
• U.S. Women’s Curling Opens Round Robin Play With a Win over South Korea
• U.S. Men’s Curling Team Edges Czechia in First Match of Round Robin Play
• What the Olympians have for a meal in the Olympic Village

The US started the game on the front foot and scored that all-important early goal against Latvia’s goaltender Elvis Merzlikins.

Zach Werenski, while skating back to his zone, caught the Latvians in a line change and quickly passed the puck to Matthew Tkachuk at the blue line. With the Latvian players out of position, Matthew hit his brother Brady Tkachuk in stride with a little chip pass just inside the blue line, and Brady wired his shot past Merzlikins to give the US a 1-0 lead.

“To say you got an assist on your younger brother’s goal in the Olympics… sick shot, first goal for our team. Really, really really special,” Matthew Tkachuck said post-game.

Two Goals for the US Disallowed

By the end of the first period, the United States had just one goal. The US had a shot that went straight through the crease, hit a post, and had not one, but two goals disallowed after video review.

Quinn Hughes thought he doubled the Americans’ advantage when he rifled a shot past Elvis Merzlikins, but the play would eventually be ruled offside. The second US goal ruled out in the period would be due to “goaltender interference”. Brock Nelson tipped a Brock Fabber shot from the point into the net, but the officials ruled that JT Miller, while slight, touched Merzlikins in the blue paint, whipping out the goal.

Even Connor Hellebuyck was surprised that the goal didn’t count. Talking about the difference between how the IIHF and NHL call goalie interference, here’s what the US number-one had to say. “Well, they’re different every year in the NHL, too. So, who knows?”

In the middle of the two disallowed goals for the US, Latvia tied the game, making those reviews even more gut-wrenching.

The Latvian forecheck caused a turnover in the US zone, and chaos ensued. Eduards Tralmaks had the original shot on goal, then Zemgus Girgensons crashed the slot before Renars Krastenbergs chipped the puck past Connor Hellebuyck to tie the game, and stun the US fans in the arena

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The US Offense Explodes in the Second

The first period was a frustrating one for the US, but they quickly turned that frustration into joy in the second frame.

Jack Hughes looked like a kid playing NHL 26 on easy mode with the way he was skating and handling the puck in his Olympic debut. Despite his hand injury that he’s dealt with since returning from LTIR on December 21st, Hughes played a perfect pass to Brock Nelson in the slot. All the 34-year-old had to do was tuck the puck past Elvis Merzlikins, who was down and out, to retake the lead.

Seven minutes later, the US finally doubled its lead on the first man advantage of the night. The United States first power play unit consists of Quinn Hughes, Auston Matthews, Jack Eichel, Matthew Tkachuck and Thompson. Stacked!

Less than a minute into the man advantage, Eichel carried the play off the left boards and into the middle, drawing coverage before feeding Thompson at the side of the net. After a quick reset on his backhand, Thompson roofed the puck over Merzlikins’ shoulder to cap off a spectacular individual effort.

Tage Thompson, the goal scorer of the Golden Goal at the 2025 World Championships, made his mark.

The US made it 4-1 before the teams went into the locker rooms. With just 12 seconds in the period, the US played tic-tac-toe with four passes, finishing off with Jack Hughes finding Brock Nelson on the back side with a cross-ice pass to extend the United States lead to three.

Hughes and Nelson comprised two-thirds of the fourth line, but tonight they were easily the US’s best players.

“You’re playing with great players. It doesn’t matter what line you’re on, you’re playing with a great group of guys,” Jack Hughes said post-game.

In the third period, the US put the game to bed with its second power play goal just 2:30 in. After playing catch with Quinn Hughes, Jack Eichel, below the goal line, hit Auston Matthews in the slot with a no-look pass. The captain, with a slight bobble, buried his shot past Arturs Silovs, who replaced Elvis Merzlikins to begin the period.

The United States extended its lead to four and cruised the rest of the way en route to a 5-1 victory over the Latvian’s at Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena. The win for the States is its second over Latvia since losing to the 10th-ranked team in the Bronze Medal game at the 2023 World Championships.

With the victory, the United States joins Germany at the top of the Group C standings with three points, while Latvia drops to last place and will have a tough hill to climb to improve its seeding heading into the playoffs.

Who’s Next for the US? Denmark

The United States is back in action Saturday when they take on Denmark. The Danish opened Group C play against Germany on Thursday and were defeated 3-1.

Denmark has six NHL players on its roster, highlighted by the Carolina duo of Nikolaj Ehlers in attack and Frederik Andersen. This season for the Hurricanes, Ehlers has 43 points (14 Goals & 29 Assists) in 57 games, while in between the pipes, Anderson is 7-10-5 with a 3.26 goals against average and a 87.1% save percentage.

When the US played Denmark in the 2025 World Championships, they defeated the Danes 5-0. But like tonight, the US can’t take the Danish lightly and will hope to get on the scoreboard early as they did against Latvia. Puck drop is scheduled for 3:10 p.m. ET at Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena.

Game Summary

Final Score: United States of America 5, Latvia 1
Date: February 12th, 2026
Venue: Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena, Milan, Italy
Attendance: 11,288
Officials: Referees – Kyle Rehman & Michael Campbell; Linesmen Libor Suchanek & Albert Ankerst Jerne

Scoring Summary

First Period

• 5:29 — USA: Brady Tkachuck (Matthew Tkachuck & Zach Werenski) EV — 1-0 USA
• 7:25 — Latvia: Renars Krastenbergs (Zemgus Girgensons) EV — 1-1

Second Period

• 10:39 — USA: Brock Nelson (Jack Hughes & Vincent Trocheck) EV — 2-1 USA
• 17:35 — USA: Tage Thompson (Jack Eichel & Quinn Hughes & ) PP — 3-1 USA
• 19:48 — USA: Brock Nelson (Jack Hughes & Matthew Tkachuck) EV — 4-1 USA

Third Period

• 19:48 — USA: Auston Matthews (Jack Eichel & Quinn Hughes) PP — 5-1 USA

Team Stats

Goaltending

United States of America

• Connor Hellebuyck (W): 17 Saves on 18 shots (.944 SV%)

Latvia

• Elvis Merzlikins (L): 28 Saves on 32 Shots (0.875 SV%)
• Arturs Silovs: 5 Saves on 6 Shots (0.833 SV%)

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