NHL Players will Return to Olympic Winter Games in 2026

The best hockey players in the world will again participate in the Winter Olympic Games, beginning with the 2026 Games in Milano-Cortina, Italy, the National Hockey League announced, as well as adding another international event to the calendar that will see an exclusive group of nations participate.

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman made the announcement in Toronto, where the NHL is currently hosting its All-Star weekend. The NHL, NHLPA and International Ice Hockey Federation agreed to the major principles related to the players’ participation, with details to be finalized over the coming months.

“The international composition of National Hockey League rosters is unparalleled and NHL players take great pride in representing their countries,” Bettman said.

NHL players have not attended the Olympic Winter Games since 2014 in Sochi, Russia, when Canada won its second consecutive gold medal, beating Sweden after winning gold in 2010 in Vancouver against the United States. Disagreements over who would pay for insurance and travel costs, the time difference between South Korea and North America were cited as factors in the NHL passing on Pyeongchang in 2018.

Players were scheduled to participate in Beijing at the 2022 Games before a surge in COVID-19 cases scrambled those plans as the NHL went on hiatus and players stayed with their teams rather than go to China.

“For years, the players have embraced the opportunity to compete for Olympic gold and we are excited that today’s announcement makes it a certainty for our members in the 2026 and 2030 Olympic Winter Games,” said NHLPA Executive Director Marty Walsh. “We also know that hockey fans worldwide have long been anticipating the next best-on-best international competition, and now they can finally see some of their favorite players represent their countries and line up together.”

Italy will be the first Olympic opportunity for a generation of stars, led by Canadians Connor McDavid and Nathan MacKinnon and Americans Auston Matthews and Jack Eichel.

“This decision represents a turning point for ice hockey at the global level and marks the great return of the NHL players to the Olympic Games,” said IIHF President Luc Tardif. “The IIHF was able to gather all related stakeholders at the same table to find a long-lasting and sustainable consensus, which is the backbone of what we intend to do as sports organizations. As prime hockey fans, the IIHF is obviously thrilled and excited about this unprecedented agreement, we are already looking forward to witnessing the best of ice hockey at these upcoming Winter Olympic Games in Milano and in 2030.”

Bettman also confirmed the creation of a new event for the 2024-2025 NHL season — the 2025 NHL 4 Nations Face-Off, which will feature international tournament play between players from Canada, Finland, Sweden and the United States. The tournament will take place in February 2025 in two cities, one in Canada and one in the United States. NHL All-Star Weekend will not be held in the 2024-2025 season.

The 4 Nations Face-Off will consist of a seven games played over a nine-day period from February 12–20, along with two designated training/practice days (February 10–11). All games will be played in accordance with NHL rules. Each team will play three tournament games in a round robin format, with the two teams with the best tournament record advancing to a one-game final.

“The notion was let’s do a little bit of international competition as a little bit of an appetizer,” Bettman said. “We wanted to do something, but we couldn’t get ready in a year for a full-blown World Cup. This gets us started and puts us on a schedule that I think everybody is not just excited about but really comfortable with.”

Each team will be comprised of 23 NHL players (20 skaters, 3 goalies) selected by Hockey Canada, Finnish Ice Hockey Association, Swedish Ice Hockey Association and USA Hockey. Players must be under an NHL contract for the 2024-2025 season and on an NHL roster as of December 2, 2024. All roster announcement dates will be made by the NHL and NHLPA, with each of the participating national associations selecting its initial six players this summer, prior to selecting its complete rosters later in the year.