Gary Bettman announces return of the NHL World Cup of Hockey in 2028

Hockey fans, rejoice! This year's 4 Nations Face-Off will not be the last time we see the NHL's best take the ice in an international tournament during a non-Olympic year.

League commissioner Gary Bettman made a joint announcement with the NHL Players Association on Wednesday that a popular and long-missed international tournament will make its return in 2028.

"We are moving forward with the World Cup two years after the Olympics in 2028,” Bettman said to a packed Bell Center in Montreal ahead of Canada vs. Sweden, the opening match of the 4 Nations Face-Off.

Starting with the 2026 Winter Olympic Games in Milan-Cortina, Italy, the World Cup of Hockey will alternate every two years with that competition. So, 2026 will be the Olympic competition, then 2028 will be the World Cup of Hockey and so on.

It's the most significant development to date since Bettman revealed last year that NHL players could finally return to senior-level, international competition.

How will the 2028 NHL World Cup of Hockey work?

The host locations for the upcoming NHL World Cup of Hockey in 2028 are not yet known. The league and players association will solicit bids and make decisions in the coming months (maybe years). This will mark just the fourth edition of the tournament which began in 1996 and was played again in 2004 and 2016.

However, we do know a little about the tournament's format. Eight teams will participate though there will be no return of Team North America or Team Europe like in 2016. Finland, Sweden, Canada and the U.S. are expected to return as well as others from Europe. Russia is currently banned by the IIHF from international competition but awaiting a decision from International Olympic Committee on its status for Milan-Cortina.

"We have enough time to deal with the realities with what the world situation looks like before then," Bettman said addressing the potential for Russia's absence in three years time.

The tournament will be played on NHL-sized rinks using NHL rules and officiated by NHL officials. Other competition details will be determined by the NHLPA and NHL in the coming months.

Hockey fans have a lot to look forward to. The league's goal is to have a best-on-best international competition every two years past the 2030 Winter Olympics in France. Salt Lake City, Utah is set to host the 2034 Games.