World Cup of Hockey to Return in February 2028

The World Cup of Hockey will return in February 2028 to extend a regular schedule of international competition going into nearly a full decade.

After 4 Nations Face-Off — which started last night — hockey fans will see NHL players compete in the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026, then the World Cup of Hockey in 2028 and the 2030 Olympic Winter Games in the French Alps.

The announcement was made at a news conference at Bell Centre in Montreal at the 4 Nations Face-Off featuring NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman, NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly and NHLPA Executive Director Marty Walsh. The 4 Nations Face-Off is pared down from initial planning because of questions over Russia’s participation given the country’s ongoing war in Ukraine.

“International best-on-best competition is very important to our players — representing their countries on the ice is in their DNA — and hockey fans love it,” Bettman said. “Resuming Olympic participation next season and staging a World Cup of Hockey in February 2028 will provide expanded opportunity for more players to represent more nations in best-on-best competition. With this tournament — and the World Cup’s return to regular rotation — the NHL and NHLPA take a major step in our joint commitment to international hockey.”

The 2028 edition will mark the fourth World Cup of Hockey after prior editions in 1996, 2004 and 2016. Details are limited about the event, including how many teams will participate, the format and location of games. Bettman said there will be at least eight teams and that the league will be asking cities for bids on hosting games.

The league and union are going ahead with the tournament without the International Ice Hockey Federation, with Bettman saying “this is an all NHL” event. The tournament will be played on NHL-sized rinks using the league’s rules and officials. Other competition details will be determined in the coming months.

“It is one of the greatest honors for any player who gets to play on the global stage wearing their home country’s hockey sweater,” said Walsh. “Hockey fans around the world are about to be treated to exceptional hockey with the best players in the world competing against each other for international hockey glory.”