NHL players will be at the 2026 and 2030 Winter Olympics!

The NHL, the NHLPA and the IIHF today jointly unveiled a plan for NHL players to participate in the 2026 and 2030 Olympic Winter Games. This will be the first time since 2014 that the NHL will participate in the Winter Olympics and the sixth time overall (1998 – Nagano, Japan; 2002 – Salt Lake City, United States; 2006 – Torino, Italy; 2010 – Vancouver, Canada; 2014 – Sochi, Russia).

The NHL, the NHLPA and the IIHF have outlined and agreed on the main guidelines for player participation. With details to be finalized in the coming months. Today’s announcement was made at a press conference from the 2024 NHL All-Star Weekend in Toronto, Canada. It was attended by NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman, NHLPA Executive Director Marty Walsh and IIHF President Luc Tardif.

“There are a huge number of players from different countries playing in the NHL. And they are proud to put on the national jersey. Today, after working extensively with the NHLPA and the International Ice Hockey Federation, we are pleased to officially announce that NHL players will participate in the 2026 and 2030 Olympic hockey tournaments,” said NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman

“This decision represents a turning point for ice hockey on a global level and marks a major return of NHL players to the Olympic Games. The IIHF was able to bring all stakeholders to the table and find a long-term and, above all, sustainable consensus.

This forms the basis for further activities of the organisations involved in this decision. As hockey fans, we are of course excited about this groundbreaking agreement and look forward to witnessing the best of ice hockey at the upcoming Olympic Winter Games in Milan and in 2030,” added IIHF President Luc Tardif.

The 2026 and 2030 Winter Olympics will feature NHL players

“The players themselves have been hoping for years for the opportunity to compete for Olympic gold. And we are thrilled that today’s announcement gives our members the certainty of participating in the 2026 and 2030 Winter Olympics.

We also know that hockey fans around the world have long anticipated another international competition of the best. And now they can finally see some of their favorite players representing their countries in national jerseys,” added NHLPA Executive Director Marty Walsh.

The 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics will take place from 6-22 February 2026 in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy. The International Olympic Committee is expected to select a host for the 2030 Winter Olympics later this year.

Source: NHL