by Joseph McLaughlin Sportz Nation - 2/12/2026 Photo Credit: Bruce Bennett/Getty Images. The wait is almost over. Team USA's men's ice hockey team is only hours away from taking the ice for the first time in the Milan Olympics. It is the first time for many of Team USA's players, who are NHL players joining the Olympic Games for the first time since the 2014 Sochi Olympics. The Americans are co-favorites to win the gold medal with their geographic rival, Canada, setting their