NBC Olympics Schedule 2018: Wednesday Prime-Time TV, Live-Stream Info

The lack of NHL players in the 2018 Winter Olympic hockey tournament may disappoint fans because the quality of play they are seeing in Pyeongchang, South Korea, is not the same as it has been in previous competitions.

However, if fans want to see the best players in the world competing against their biggest rivals, all they have to do is switch their attention to the women's hockey tournament.

The United States and Canada, the two best teams in the world, will square off once again for the gold medal in Olympic hockey.

Those two teams will meet at 11:10 p.m. ET, and it could be one of the most intense battles of the Games so far.

Here's a look at the schedule for Wednesday's Olympic events.

Wednesday's TV Schedule (All Times ET)

NBCSN (6 a.m. - Midnight) 

NBC (3 p.m. - 5 p.m., 8 p.m. - 11 p.m.)

Wednesday's Live-Stream Schedule (All Times ET)

Alpine Skiing 

Men's Slalom (8 p.m., final at 11:30 p.m.)

Women's Combined (Downhill at 9:30 p.m., Slalom at 1 a.m. Thursday)

Freestyle Skiing

Men's Halfpipe (9:30 p.m., final runs at 10:22 p.m.)

Ice Hockey

Women's Gold-Medal Game

United States vs. Canada (11:10 p.m.)

Snowboarding

Women's Parallel Giant Slalom Qualification (10 p.m.)

Men's Parallel Giant Slalom Qualification (10:27 p.m.)

Women's Parallel Giant Slalom Elimination Races (10:54 p.m.)

Men's Parallel Giant Slalom Elimination Races (11:21 p.m.)

All events can be live-streamed on NBCOlympics.com.

Canada defeated the United States for the gold medal in the 2014 Games in Sochi, Russia, and that loss for the United States came in heartbreaking fashion. The United States had a late 2-0 lead in the third period before Canada stormed back to tie the score in regulation and win the game in overtime.

The United States and Canada have faced each other in every Olympics gold-medal game since the sport was introduced in 1998, except in 2006. The United States won the first gold-medal confrontation, but Canada has been victorious in every matchup since then. 

"A battle for the ages, as usual," said U.S. Olympian Brianne Jenner, per Karen Crouse and Matthew Futterman of the New York Times. "It’s one of the best rivalries in hockey. Not much more you can say."

Men's Slalom

The men's slalom is likely to be the most technical ski race of the Olympics. The slalom requires skiers to weave in and out of tightly placed gates, and it's all about the control and strength of the skier. 

Austria's Marcel Hirscher is the favorite, and he is going for his third gold medal of the Olympics. He has been the World Cup slalom champion in four of the last six years, and it would not be a surprise if he won that title again this year.

Norway's Henrik Kristoffersen finished second to Hirscher in the giant slalom, and he won the bronze medal in the slalom in Sochi. He is good enough to push Hirscher hard and possibly steal the gold medal.

Hirscher's other gold medals came in the alpine combined and giant slalom. If he wins another gold, he will join legendary skiers Toni Sailer of Austria (1956) and Jean-Claude Killy of France (1968) as the only men to win three skiing golds in one Olympic competition.

Men's Halfpipe

For those who are hoping to see an American sweep, the men's halfpipe could be for them. David Wise, Alex Ferreira and Torin Yater-Wallace have a chance to dominate the podium.

Wise won the event in Sochi in 2014, and he has shown incredible creativity. His ability to land double corks makes him one of the most exciting performers in the event.

Ferreira is a first-time Olympian, and he has a chance to push Wise hard. Ferreira has regularly finished second in the event. Yater-Wallace had an illness-plagued run in Sochi four years ago, but he is healthy this time around and has a good chance to reach the podium.