Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) has banned Russia from international competition. However, it now appears the NHL could be in a position to allow Russia’s return for a best-on-best World Cup of Hockey tournament. According to news today, the NHL plans to move forward with the tournament, even without the IIHF’s support.
Darren Dreger of TSN broke the story on X just moments ago.
According to Dreger, the NHL intends to work directly with each country’s ice hockey federation. This move would allow the league to circumvent any restrictions placed on nations by the IIHF. Additional reports state the NHL plans to move forward with an eight-team tournament.
With Canada, the United States, Finland, and Sweden likely participating, the addition of four more teams would certainly make for must-watch hockey. The success of the Four Nations Faceoff has motivated the NHL to partake in more of these events as they look to expand the game globally. It is expected that tournament games will be played in both North America and Europe to help grow the sport.
What teams would you like to see join this tournament?