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No NHL players, no problem. The 2018 Winter Olympics men’s hockey tournament is going to look decidedly different than previous iterations, but it still has plenty of compelling elements about it. And as for the women’s tournament, if we see anything even a fraction as good as the gold medal game from Sochi, you won’t want to miss it.
In the United States, all of the USA and medal games, as well as most of the other games in both tournaments, will be broadcast on NBC Sports Network, CNBC or USA Network (complete TV listings here). If you don’t have cable or a cable log-in, you can watch a simulcast of all of these channels live online by signing up for one of the following cable-free, live-TV streaming services:
strong>FuboTV: NBCSN, CNBC and USA are all included in the “Fubo Premier” channel package. You can sign up for a free 7-day trial, and you can then watch any of those channels live on your computer via the FuboTV website, or on your phone, tablet or streaming device via the FuboTV app.
DirecTV Now: NBCSN, CNBC and USA are all included in each of the four channel packages. You can sign up for a free 7-day trial no matter what package you choose, plus you can get a free Amazon Fire TV if you prepay two months. Once signed up, you can watch any of the channels on your computer via the DirecTV Now website, or on your phone, tablet or streaming device via the DirecTV Now app.
Sling TV: NBCSN and USA are included in the “Sling Blue” channel package, while CNBC is in the “News Extra” add-on. You can sign up for a free 7-day trial, and you can then watch those channels on your computer via the Sling TV website, or on your phone, tablet or streaming device via the Sling TV app.
In addition to being able to watch those channels via the above streaming services, you can also watch any and every Olympic hockey game from both tournaments live on your computer via NBCOlympics.com, or on your phone, tablet or streaming device via the NBC Sports app. To watch any of these streams, you’ll have a 30-minute free preview before needing to sign in to your TV provider, but you can use your FuboTV, DirecTV Now or Sling TV credentials to do that.
Preview
The headline in the men’s tournament, is the absence of NHL players for the first time since the 1994 Games. And it’s a decision that was met mostly with criticism.
“It’s really sad, but I don’t know what to say,” Dallas Stars defenseman John Klingberg said. “It is what it is right now.”
There’s no doubt that it takes away from certain storylines. Canada going for a third straight Olympic gold medal is somewhat less interesting when they have a completely different team, as is any potential matchup between the Americans and Canadians, who have competed in some super high-level classics over the last couple of Winter Games. Nevertheless, with former NHL players, top amateurs and other professionals taking the place of the NHLers, there’s still certainly some intrigue surrounding the tournament. And at the very least, you know these guys are going to be playing with unrelenting passion.
“We all know the best players in the world aren’t here due to some rules, but we’re so proud to be here and excited to represent our country and enjoy the opportunity we’ve been given,” said former NHL player Mason Raymond, who will represent Team Canada.
As for the contenders, the Olympic Athletes of Russia are favorites for gold, though Sweden, Canada, Finland, Czech Republic and the United States should all be in the mix, as well.
Over in the women’s tournament, it would be surprising if it came down to anything other than a gold-medal game rematch between the USA and Canada, who engaged in an instant-classic four years ago:
While the Canadians won that one, the United States have captured each of the three IIHF World Championships since Sochi, defeating the Canadians in all three of the championship games. It’s almost assuredly a rivalry that will get renewed in Pyeonchang, and if that indeed happens, it will be one of the must-watch events of the Olympics.
You can find the complete schedule of games here.
