2026 Winter Olympics Predictions, Start Times, Live Stream for Friday Schedule

Believe it or not, the 2026 Milano Cortina Games are nearing their conclusion. The closing ceremony is set for Sunday afternoon, though fans can still look forward to a little more Winter Olympics action.

Several medal events have yet to unfold, including the men's hockey gold-medal game, which will be Sunday's final event before the closing ceremonies. Friday's schedule will feature medal rounds in several events, including speed skating, freestyle skiing, and curling.

Friday will also deliver the men's ice hockey semifinals.

Here's a look at what's ahead on Friday's slate, along with streaming information and a few predictions.

Friday Broadcast and Live Stream Schedule

6 a.m. ET

Women's Ski Cross Finals* (USA Network)

7:30 a.m. ET

Freestyle Skiing: Men's Aerials Finals*(USA Network)

8:05 a.m. ET

Curling: Women's Semifinal

8:15 a.m. ET

Biathlon: Men's 15km Mass Start* (USA Network)

10:30 a.m. ET

Speed Skating: Women's 1500m Final*

10:40 a.m. ET

Ice Hockey: Men's Semifinal, Canada vs. Finland

11 a.m. ET

Speed Skating: Women's 1500m Final* (USA Network)

11:50 a.m. ET

Ice Hockey: Men's Semifinal Broadcast, Canada vs. Finland (USA Network)

12 p.m. ET

Bobsled: 2-Women

12:15 p.m. ET

Biathlon: Men's 15km Mass Start* (NBC)

1 p.m. ET

Women's Ski Cross Finals* re-air (USA Network)

Speed Skating: Women's 1500m Final* (NBC)

1:05 p.m. ET

Curling: Men's Bronze Medal Game

1:30 p.m. ET

Freestyle Skiing: Men's Freeski Halfpipe Final* (NBC)

2:15 p.m. ET

Speed Skating: Women's 1500m (USA)

3:10 p.m. ET

Ice Hockey: Men's Semifinal, United States vs. Slovakia (NBC)

3:30 p.m. ET

Speed Skating: Men's 5000m Relay* (USA)

4 p.m. ET

Speed Skating: Women's 1500m Final (USA)

* = Medal Event

*All events can be livestreamed on Peacock and NBCOlympics.com. Full Broadcast schedule can be found at NBCOlympics.com. Remaining event schedule can be found at Olympics.com.

Men's Ice Hockey Takes Center Stage

Jean Catuffe/Getty Images

Colton Parayko of Team Canada

Friday's schedule will include medal events for men's halfpipe skiing, speed skating, and men's aerial skiing. The men's curling bronze medal game will also be held on Friday.

The weekend will bring more medal events in bobsled, curling, skiing, speed skating, and the new ski mountaineering event. However, ice hockey is set to take center stage in the waning days of the Winter Olympics.

As previously noted, the men's gold medal game will be Sunday's final competition before the closing ceremony. The women's gold medal game took place on Thursday. The United States won it with a 2-1 victory over Canada.

Unlike many of the aforementioned sports, ice hockey is one that even casual fans tend to enjoy. The excitement and drama that surrounded last year's 4-Nations Face Off should serve as proof. Canada outlasted the United States, Finland, and Sweden in a battle for bragging rights that was a thrill to behold.

Three of the four 4-Nations teams are among the Olympic final four, and we may well see a rematch of the 4-Nations final on Sunday. This shouldn't come as a surprise, as the Olympic rosters are very similar to the 4-Nations rosters that countries put on the ice last year.

For those who haven't been tracking the Olympics closely, the NHL has allowed its stars to compete in the Winter Olympics for the first time since 2014.

Minnesota Wild defenseman Quinn Hughes scored the game-winning goal for Team USA in Wednesday's 2-1 overtime win against Sweden. Vegas Golden Knights winger Mitch Marner scored the overtime game-winner for Canada in its quarterfinal win over Czechia.

Canada will battle Finland on Friday morning for a spot in the gold medal game and a chance to boast of being the world's top team for the second straight year. The Americans will face Slovakia in the afternoon for a chance to get the top spot that eluded Team USA in the 4-Nations Face Off.

"It's going to be a huge, huge test for us," Florida Panthers captain and Team USA winger Matthew Tkachuk said, per Becky Sullivan of NPR.org. "Their goalie's playing incredible. Our goalie is playing incredible. It's going to make for a hell of a semifinal."

Slovakia, which won bronze at the 2022 Beijing Games, will be a tough test for the United States. The team beat Germany 6-2 in the quarterfinals and has the talent and chemistry needed to go for another medal. The prediction here, though, is that Team USA wins a close defensive battle to advance to the gold-medal game.

Finland engineered a comeback win over Switzerland in the quarterfinals and should push the Canadians, who may be without captain Sidney Crosby after he suffered a lower-body injury on Wednesday. The prediction here, though, is that the game mirrors Canada's 5-3 win in the 4-Nations Face Off, ending Finland's bid to repeat as Olympic hockey champions.

Prediction: Canada and the United States advance to the men's hockey final.