NHL players will be returning to the Olympics for the first time in over ten years. The top hockey league in the world has reached an agreement that will allow its players to compete in the 2026 Winter Games in Milan and the 2030 Olympics, as announced on Friday by the NHL, NHL Players’ Association, International Ice Hockey Federation, and the International Olympic Committee.
NHL players haven’t participated in the Olympics since the 2014 Winter Games in Sochi.
NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman spoke at a press conference during All-Star Weekend, saying, “There is a recognition of how important this is to the players. Everybody felt on our ownership side that it was the right thing to do… This really came down to doing something because the players really wanted it.”
Luc Tardif, the president of the IIHF, smiled and said, “We made it,” after two years of work, which intensified over the last six months.
Canada and Pittsburgh Penguins star Sidney Crosby expressed his excitement, saying, “With all the uncertainty that’s been around it in years prior and just how great of an experience that it is, I think it’s just awesome news and I’m sure a lot of players are really happy. And especially to commit to two different Olympics, I think that’ll be great.”
The 2026 Olympics in Milan will be a chance for a new generation of stars, such as Canadians Connor McDavid, Nathan MacKinnon, and Cale Makar, and Americans Auston Matthews, Jack Eichel, and Adam Fox, to play in the Games. The exciting potential rosters could even bring together McDavid, Crosby, and Connor Bedard on the same team competing for the gold medal.
McDavid shared his enthusiasm, saying, “The opportunity to do that is a dream come true. I’ve been vocal about this. I feel like it’s important for hockey as we continue to try to grow our game internationally and at home. I think it’s a great thing.”
The NHL paused its season five times from 1998 through 2014 to allow players to compete in the Olympics. Many players grew up hoping to play in the Games. However, disagreements over who would cover costs like travel and insurance, along with the time difference between South Korea and North America, caused the NHL to skip the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympics.
Bettman explained that for the 2026 and 2030 Olympics, the NHL team owners won’t be responsible for paying for big expenses like travel and insurance. That responsibility will fall on the IIHF and the organizing committees of the respective countries. Tardif mentioned that national federations and Olympic committees will help fund the costs.
The COVID-19 pandemic also disrupted plans to send players to the 2022 Beijing Olympics. U.S. defenseman Charlie McAvoy expressed his frustration about missing the 2022 Olympics, saying, “That one took a while to get over.
You’re picking sizes for your Ralph Lauren outfit to walk around in the opening ceremonies. That stuff got real. It got really real. And you internalize it. It works as motivation. You want to be a part of that, and then you just lose it in a matter of seconds.”
The upcoming international hockey calendar will also feature the “4 Nations Face-Off” in 2025, which will include teams from the U.S., Canada, Sweden, and Finland. This event will take place in four cities, one in each country, and will include seven games from February 12 to 20, 2025.
Marty Walsh, the NHLPA executive director, called the event a “building block to a larger World Cup.” Bettman also reiterated that the NHL hopes to establish an international “best-on-best” tournament every two years.
The last World Cup took place in 2016, where McDavid, MacKinnon, Matthews, and Eichel played for the 23-and-under Team North America, not for their countries. There hasn’t been a World Cup since, partly due to Russia’s war in Ukraine, which prevented plans for another tournament this year.
Tardif mentioned that a council meeting is scheduled next week to discuss whether Russia and Belarus will be allowed to participate in the 2025 World Championship.
Tampa Bay Lightning’s Nikita Kucherov expressed his hope that Team Russia would be able to compete in the Olympics, saying, “I want to go — I think everybody wants to go, and it definitely means a lot for the country.
Hopefully, my fingers crossed, that we’re going to be in the Olympics — Team Russia is going to be in the Olympics. And it’s going to be a real best versus best because when Team Russia is not out there, it’s not the same.”
Tardif, who is from France, also shared that the 2030 Olympics will be held in his home country, with hockey events taking place in Nice. The IOC is expected to announce the host city later this year, and the French Alps are considered the likely location.
Regardless of where the Games take place, the return of the Olympics for top players is a major milestone.
Walsh said, “Players would constantly say to us, ‘We want to play in the Olympics, we want to be in the Olympics, we want to be part of the Olympics.’ Today’s announcement makes that a reality.”
It is still unclear whether Russia will be allowed to compete in the 2026 Olympics. The IOC has permitted individual Russian athletes to participate under a neutral flag but has banned Russian teams from competing in the 2024 Paris Games.
Russia’s team, known as the Olympic Athletes from Russia, won the gold medal in 2018, with a talented roster including former Detroit Red Wings forward Pavel Datsyuk and current Minnesota Wild All-Star Kirill Kaprizov. Finland is the current Olympic champion, having won in 2022.
Sebastian Aho from Finland shared his dream of playing in the Olympics, saying, “It’s always been my dream and my goal to someday play in Olympics. I grew up playing with them on the junior national team, so it would be very special to try a tournament with those guys and play hockey when it’s best on best.”
