Though the NHL won't be heading to the 2018 Olympics, there's still excitement surrounding the men's and women's ice hockey tournaments that begin in less than five months, and the IIHF announced the groups and schedules Monday.
On the men's side, the teams have been split up into three groups:
| Group A | Group B | Group C |
|---|---|---|
| Canada | Russia | Finland |
| Czech Republic | Slovakia | Germany |
| South Korea | Slovenia | Norway |
| Switzerland | United States | Sweden |
The USA will open up the tournament Feb. 14 against Slovakia, while Canada gets started Feb. 15 against Switzerland. Each country will play every team in its group once during the preliminary round. The full schedule can be found here.
Over on the women's side, the groups are as follows:
| Group A | Group B |
|---|---|
| Canada | Japan |
| Finland | South Korea |
| Russia | Sweden |
| United States | Switzerland |
Consider Group A "the group of death."
The marquee matchup between Canada and the United States will take place Feb. 15 at the Kwandong Hockey Center. The full schedule can be found here.
(Photo courtesy: Action Images)
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