The United States men's hockey team defeated Germany 5-1 in their final preliminary round game at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan on February 15. Auston Matthews led the scoring with two goals, while Tage Thompson, Zach Werenski, and Brock Faber each added one. The Americans finished Group C play with a perfect 3-0 record, having previously defeated Latvia 5-1 and Denmark 6-3.
During the Germany game, Matthews and teammate Jack Hughes collided at high speed while both chasing a drop pass from Quinn Hughes during a US power play. Both players took a few moments to recover but were uninjured. Matthews scored both his goals later in the game, including one on a power play and another on a tip-in shot.
Despite the undefeated record, Team USA earned the second seed for the knockout rounds rather than first, as Canada's 10-2 victory over France gave them the top spot. The Americans would have needed to beat Germany by 10 goals to overtake Canada. Team USA now advances directly to the quarterfinals on Wednesday, where they will face either Sweden or Latvia. The team has been honoring late NHL player Johnny Gaudreau throughout the tournament by displaying his jersey in their locker room.