The Latvian men's ice hockey team will face Sweden in the first round of the play-offs at the Olympic tournament, scheduled for February 17 at 22:10 Latvian time. The team's performance in the group stage placed them 10th out of 12 competing teams, leading them to confront the 7th-ranked Sweden in the play-off stage. Success for Latvia could steer them toward a quarterfinal match against the USA, who qualified automatically as the winner of Group C.

In the same play-off round, other matches include Denmark facing the Czech Republic, Germany competing against France, and Switzerland clashing with Italy. The results from these matches will determine the quarterfinals, with Denmark or the Czech Republic going on to play against Canada if they win, while the winners from Germany and France will compete against Slovakia. Switzerland's victor will face Finland in the next round as well.

This upcoming showdown highlights the competitive landscape of international ice hockey, as teams aim to advance and secure their place in the quarterfinals. The Latvian team, having finished lower in the group rankings, will need to harness their skills to overcome the strong Swedish side for a chance to continue in the tournament and bolster Latvia's standing in international hockey.