Unusual start times and high stakes can only mean one thing.
The Winter Olympics are back.
Today, Hilary Knight’s United States Women’s Hockey team will take on Kristýna Kaltounková’s Czech Republic club in a preliminary round match at the Milano Rho Ice Hockey Arena in Milan, Italy on Thursday, Feb. 5 at 10:40 am ET.
These elite squads last met twice in April 2025 in the IIHF Women’s World Championship. In their first matchup, the US won 4-0 in the group stage followed by a 2-1 nail-biter semifinal victory.
United States vs. czech republic: what to know
- When: Feb. 5, 10:40 am ET
- Where: Milano Rho Ice Hockey Arena (Milan, Italy)
- Channel: USA Network
- Streaming: DIRECTV (try it free)
What the USA really has their sights on though is the Gold.
After falling in the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics to their rival Canada, they’re hoping their young squad (which includes four NCAA forwards) can push them over the hump this year.
Keep an eye on this one. You just might witness the beginning of something special.
United States vs. Czech Republic start time
The puck drops at 10:40 am ET on Thursday, Feb. 5 for the United States vs. Czech Republic showdown.
How to watch the United States vs. Czech Republic for free
If you don’t have cable, you’ll need a live TV streaming service to stream the Olympics for free.
DIRECTV is our favorite service for watching TV live for free — it has a five-day free trial and there are a ton of options for plans that include USA Network (and every other channel you’ll need for the Olympics), including genre packs that offer more flexibility at lower price points. USA Network is part of the MySports ($69.99/month) genre pack with 20+ channels.
You can also catch every minute of the Olympics with a subscription to Peacock, which starts at $10.99/month.
United States and Czech Republic team rosters
For a closer look, here are the US and Czechia women’s hockey rosters.
United States
- Lee Stecklein (D)
- Cayla Barnes (D)
- Caroline Harvey (D)
- Megan Keller (D)
- Rory Guilday (D)
- Haley Winn (D)
- Laila Edwards (D)
- Kirsten Simms (F)
- Kelly Pannek (F)
- Grace Zumwinkle (F)
- Hayley Scamurra (F)
- Britta Curl-Salemme (F)
- Hilary Knight (F)
- Tessa Janecke (F)
- Hannah Bilka (F)
- Joy Dunne (F)
- Alex Carpenter (F)
- Kendall Coyne Schofield (F)
- Taylor Heise (F)
- Abbey Murphy (F)
- Ava McNaughton (F)
- Aerin Frankel (G)
- Gwyneth Philips (G)
Czech Republic
- Sára Čajanová (D)
- Dominika Lásková (D)
- Noemi Neubauerová (D)
- Daniela Pejšová (D)
- Klára Seroiszková (D)
- Aneta Tejralová (D)
- Andrea Trnková (D)
- Klára Hymlárová (F)
- Barbora Juríčková (F)
- Kristyna Kaltounková (F)
- Denisa Krížová (F)
- Natálie Mlynková (F)
- Katerina Mrázová (F)
- Michaela Pejzlová (F)
- Tereza Pišteková (F)
- Tereza Plosová (F)
- Vendula Pribylová (F)
- Adéla Šapovalivová (F)
- Tereza Vanišová (F)
- Linda Vocetková (F)
- Michaela Hesová (G)
- Julia Pejšová (G)
- Klara Peslarová (G)
When do the Winter Olympics end?
The 2026 Winter Olympics end with the closing ceremony on Feb. 22 at 2:30 p.m. ET.
This article was written by Matt Levy, New York Post live events reporter. Levy stays up-to-date on all the latest tour announcements from your favorite musical artists and comedians, as well as Broadway openings, sporting events and more live shows – and finds great ticket prices online. Since he started his tenure at the Post in 2022, Levy has reviewed a Bruce Springsteen concert and interviewed Melissa Villaseñor of SNL fame, to name a few. Please note that deals can expire, and all prices are subject to change.
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