NHL, NHLPA reportedly working towards 2026 Olympic participation

It's been seven years since the last best-on-best international tournament and nearly ten years since the last time the National Hockey League sent their players to the Winter Olympics. Get ready for that to change.

According to NHLPA Executive Director Marty Walsh told ESPN that he's focused on getting the players back to the Olympics in 2026 and that his side and the NHL are working on it, along with the International Ice Hockey Federation.


The last time the NHL participated at the Winter Olympics was in Sochi, Russia in 2014, when Canada defeated Sweden in the final to win their second gold medal in a row.


A year before the 2018 Winter Olympics, the NHL decided not to send the players to South Korea because of changes in an agreement with the International Olympic Committee.

Then in 2020, the NHL and NHLPA ratified a four-year extension to the collective bargaining agreement (CBA) which included Olympic participation in 2022 and 2026. Due to COVID-19 concerns, the NHL opted out of sending the players in 2022, but it appears that both sides have their sights set on Milan 2026.

Along with the Olympics, the NHL and NHLPA continue to work towards the next edition of the World Cup of Hockey. Originally, the plan was to hold the tournament in February 2024, but due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the uncertainty surrounding their participation, it's not expected to be held until 2025 at the earliest.