The most prominent Latvia-born players to reach the NHL are defenseman Sandis Ozolinsh, who helped the Colorado Avalanche win the Stanley Cup in 1996 and played 875 games in 15 NHL seasons, and goalie Arturs Irbe, who had 218 wins and 33 shutouts in 13 seasons.

Elvis Merzlikins, a star NHL goalie for the Columbus Blue Jackets, is set to represent Team Latvia at the Olympics. He faces a tough opener against Team USA. Merzlikins sees this as a significant personal challenge to showcase his skills on the world's biggest stage.

The U.S. men's hockey team hasn't won an Olympic gold medal since the Miracle on Ice in 1980, but this year's team might just be capable of ending that drought. The Americans have brought their best roster ever to Italy,

The on-ice leaders for one of the intriguing underdogs heading into the men’s ice hockey tournament in Milan have been named. On Tuesday, it was announced that former NHL forward Kaspars Daugavins has been named the captain of the Latvian men’s team at the 2026 Winter Olympics.

NHL players are back at the Olympics, and preliminary play opened with two contests in Milan. Here's how Day 1 went.

Take a look at the complete 2026 Winter Olympics ice hockey schedule for Team USA and others.

Day 5 of the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics included another eight gold medals being earned, headlined by Jordan Stolz of Team USA in the men's speedskating 1,000-meter. The American phenom entered the event as a heavy favorite,