NHL players will officially return to the Olympic Games in February 2026 after the key stakeholders signed an agreement Wednesday at the International Ice Hockey Federation’s headquarters in Zurich.
While the deal itself was no surprise — the 12 participating nations in the men’s tournament have already named six players to their respective rosters — the formalized agreement was hailed as a landmark achievement after the NHL opted not to attend the past two Winter Games.
The Milan Cortina tournament in February will be the first featuring NHL players since the Sochi Games in 2014 and the sixth overall.
“Olympic participation will showcase the skill and talent of NHL players on an international stage,” NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said. “We are proud to collaborate with the IIHF, NHLPA and IOC to bring the best hockey players in the world to the Olympics and make this happen in a way that benefits the game globally.”
The agreement also paved the way for NHL participation in the 2030 Winter Olympics in the French Alps. That was something the league and the NHL Players’ Association included in their recent four-year extension to the collective bargaining agreement, which is currently subject to ratification votes by each side.
The Olympic return comes on the heels of the successful 4 Nations Face-Off tournament staged by the NHL and NHLPA in February and should signal the start of a new era of best-on-best international events.
“This is a tremendous day for international ice hockey and for fans across the globe,” IIHF President Luc Tardif said. “Bringing the best players in the world back to the Olympic Winter Games … is a major step forward for our sport.”
Ultimately, it was the NHL players who pushed hardest for a return to the Olympic stage.
They were disappointed when the league wasn’t able to reach an agreement on the 2018 PyeongChang Games. Planned NHL participation in the 2022 Beijing Olympics was abandoned a couple of months before the tournament due to health and safety concerns related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
As a result, virtually all of the players selected to participate in the 2026 Games will be making their Olympic debuts.
“Best-on-best international tournaments like the Olympics provide the opportunity to create extraordinary moments for our players and fans alike,” NHLPA executive director Marty Walsh said. “The return to the Olympics marks a monumental moment for hockey, and we thank our partners — the NHL, IOC and IIHF — for this collaborative process.
“The skill and passion on display in Milano Cortina will build off the excitement of the 4 Nations Face-Off and continue our game’s global growth.”
Olympic rosters
(Photo of Connor McDavid: Bruce Bennett / Getty Images)