NHLers to return to Olympics after missing last 2 Winter Games | CBC Sports | Maqvi News

NHL players are set to return to the next two Olympics.

League commissioner Gary Bettman announced Friday at all-star weekend in Toronto that the NHL has struck a deal with the Players’ Association and International Ice Hockey Federation, paving the way for stars such as Connor McDavid and Auston Matthews to compete in Italy in 2026 and at the following Winter Games in 2030. 

“We know how important international competition is to our players. We know how much they love and want to represent the countries from which they’re from, and we think this ia great stage for the best on best in what obviously we all believe is the best sport,” Bettman said.

NHLers last participated in the Olympics at Sochi 2014, where Team Canada won gold. The 2026 Games will be held in Italy, while it is expected that France will be chosen to host the 2030 Games later this year.

“We 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 favourite players represent their countries and line up together,” said NHLPA executive director Marty Walsh.

The NHL also announced a four-team international tournament for 2025 that will include Canada, the United States, Sweden and Finland.

The Four Nations Face-off will be held next February in two yet-to-be-named cities in Canada and the United States.

“We thought this was a great way to kick off the [international] calendar that we agreed on,” said Bettman.

The league was set to return to the 2022 Olympics in Beijing, but backed out because of COVID-19 concerns.

The NHL last held a World Cup in 2016. That event featured an under-23 Team North America and Team Europe made up of small hockey powers.

Now, it top international competition will return as soon as next year. 

“We made it,” IIHF president Luc Tardif said. “That’s two years work and more intense the last six months.”

More to come.