Elliotte Friedman Reveals The Cities That Are Interested In Hosting The 2028 World Cup Of Hockey
![Feb 12, 2025; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; [Imagn Images direct customers only] NHL commissioner Gary Bettman announced the return of the World Cup in 2028 before a 4 Nations Face-Off ice hockey game at Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images](https://i.marqueur.com/habsetlnh/i/photo/528410.webp "Feb 12, 2025; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; [Imagn Images direct customers only] NHL commissioner Gary Bettman announced the return of the World Cup in 2028 before a 4 Nations Face-Off ice hockey game at Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images")
Photo credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images
The NHL recently announced the return of the World Cup of Hockey in 2028, and Elliotte Friedman has revealed a list of cities interested in hosting.
The World Cup of Hockey is returning in February of 2028. With the 2026 addition of the Winter Olympics in Italy and this year's 4 Nations Face-Off, more players in the NHL will be playing international hockey.
«We will be asking for bids on hosting games. We will have a package that's just about done that will be done in the next few weeks and we couldn't be more excited about making a reality Olympics-World Cups-Olympics-World Cups on a regular schedule of the best hockey players in the world representing their countries and we know the full-blown World Cup, of which this (the 4 Nations Face-Off) is simply a sampler, is going to be sensational.»
- Gary Bettman
- Gary Bettman
The eight-team tournament is going to be in demand, and interest in hosting is high, largely in large hockey cities in North America. Elliotte Friedman reports that three cities in North America, Edmonton, Vancouver, and Seattle, are vying to be hosts.
"I think they like the idea of teams of countries in Europe hosting some of the games," he said on '32 Thoughts.' (25:10) "I've heard there's interest in West North America, like I've heard Seattle is interested. I've heard Edmonton is interested. I've heard Vancouver is interested."
- Elliotte Friedman
- Elliotte Friedman
European cities would also like to host games
One of the complicating factors in determining cities to host is overseas travel logistics. Friedman said interest in having a game in Europe is high, but that long distances across that continent would be a scheduling problem.
"I know that it sounds insane because you're going to have games in Europe, but there's a bias toward the eastern United States or eastern Canada if you're going to have games in Europe. I don't know how they're going to feel about the idea of Europe and western Canada, right? We'll find out."
- Elliotte Friedman
- Elliotte Friedman
There is a great incentive to hold the event despite fears of injuries. Friedman said that if players would be willing to take injury risks to play in the Olympics and in the 4 Nations Face-Off, that same willingness would transfer to the World Cup of Hockey.
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