NHL announces return to Winter Olympics in 2026 and 2030, unveils plans for '4 Nations Face-Off'

The NHL will get back to participating in international competition soon.

By Austin Nivison Feb 2, 2024 at 4:25 pm ET• 2 min read

Hockey fans hoping to see the return of international best-on-best competition are going to get their fill over the next few years. On Friday, the NHL announced that NHL players would participate in the 2026 and 2030 Winter Olympics, as well as a "4 Nations Face-Off" in 2025.

NHL players have not competed at the Olympics since 2014, when Canada defeated Sweden to win the gold medal. In recent years, NHL players have been clamoring for a return to Olympic play, and that is now a reality.

In a joint press conference at the NHL All-Star Weekend in Toronto, the NHL, NHLPA, and IIHF announced the Olympic news.

"The international composition of National Hockey League rosters is unparalleled, and NHL Players take great pride in representing their countries," Bettman said in a statement. "We are pleased that today, after intense collaborative efforts with the NHL Players' Association and the International Ice Hockey Federation, we can formally announce that NHL Players will participate in both the 2026 and 2030 Olympic hockey tournaments."