We know when the puck will drop for the women’s ice hockey tournament at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milano.



According to Daily Faceoff insider Frank Seravalli, the women’s portion of the Winter Games program will begin on Feb. 5.



<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Early draft of 2026 Olympic <a href="https://twitter.com/milanocortina26?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@milanocortina26</a> hockey tournament schedule: Men's Prelims: Feb. 11-15 (some time slots: 6:10am ET/10:40am ET/3:10pm ET/3:10pm ET) Men's Qualification Playoffs: Feb. 17 (6:10am ET/6:10am ET/10:40am ET/3:10pm ET) Men's Quarters: Feb. 18 (6:10am…— Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) <a href="https://twitter.com/frank_seravalli/status/1856807250326855876?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 13, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>



The preliminary round will take six days, with the conclusion of the group stage coming on Feb. 10. Game times are expected to be favorable to North American viewers, as contests will start at 6:10 a.m. ET, 10:40 a.m. ET and 3:10 a.m. ET, with some days having up to four games on the docket.



The quarterfinals will take place across Feb. 14-15. The semifinals are set for Feb. 16, with 10:40 a.m. and 3:10 a.m. start times. The Bronze Medal Game will take place on Feb. 19 at 10:40 a.m., with the Gold Medal Game scheduled to start at 3:10 p.m.<div class="injected-ad injected-video" data-nn-ad-tech-injection-count="0" data-nn-ad-tech-max-gap="130" data-nn-ad-tech-current-gap="175"></div>



The tournament, which will also have the men’s tournament overlap with the women’s, will take place at two separate venues. PalaItalia Santa Giulia will be the main arena, though it is currently under construction. The rink in Milan will accommodate 16,000 spectators. Fiera Milano will serve as the secondary venue, with temporary seating being added to bolster its smaller capacity. Fiera will most likely be the home to Group B in the women’s tournament.



Like most international women’s tournaments, 10 teams will enter the competition. As it stands, six teams have already punched their ticket to Milano. The host nation, Italy, automatically receives a bid into the tournament. Canada, Czechia, Finland, Switzerland and the United States have already qualified based on world rankings. 



Russia is technically ranked sixth, according to the IIHF, which would send them to the Olympics. However, due to the current ban, they might not be able to compete in either the men’s or women’s tournaments. If they are ruled out, Japan, ranked seventh in the world, would receive the final automatic bid.<div class="injected-ad" data-nn-ad-tech-injection-count="1" data-nn-ad-tech-max-gap="130" data-nn-ad-tech-current-gap="177"></div>



Over the next couple of months, 21 countries will compete in the final two stages of qualification for the Olympics, with only three spots (currently) available. Traditional European favorites Sweden and Germany will have to win their way into the tournament, regardless of whether Russia is allowed to play in the Olympics.



The second round of qualification will take place from Dec. 12-15, 2024. The final round will span Europe and Japan from Feb. 6-9, 2025.



<a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/categories/pwhl">Read more women’s hockey stories on DFO</a>