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Oliver Bjorkstrand (R) of the Seattle Kraken celebrates after his team scores a goal in the game against the Philadelphia Flyers at Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, Washington, December 29, 2023. /CFP
Players of the National Hockey League (NHL) are allowed to participate in the Winter Olympic Games in 2026 and 2030, the league announced on Friday.
"The international composition of National Hockey League rosters is unparalleled, and NHL Players take great pride in representing their countries," the league's commissioner Gary 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."
The decision was made after the NHL, the NHLPA, the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) and International Olympic Committee (IOC) struck a deal on Friday.
The last time the NHL players competed at the Winter Olympics happened in 2014 in Sochi, Russia. Canada won both the men's and the women's gold medals. Seven NHL teams, the Montreal Canadians, the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Vancouver Canucks, the Edmonton Oilers, the Calgary Flames, the Ottawa Senators and the Winnipeg Jets are from the country.
Logan Cooley (#92) of the Arizona Coyotes and Sam Carrick (#39) of the Anaheim Ducks battle for the puck in the game at Honda Center in Anaheim, California, December 29, 2023. /CFP
"We made it, and that's really important. Two years of work, and more intense (over) the last six months. But the most important thing is, since two years, we learned to work together," the IIHF president Luc Tardif said.
The Winter Olympics will take place in Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, in 2026. The host for the 2030 games has not been decided yet and will be chosen by the IOC this year.
The Athletic reported that the NHL will launch a Four Nations tournament in February 2025 in the U.S., Canada, Finland and Sweden. According to ESPN, a total of seven games will be played during nine days between February 12 and 20, 2025. Hockey Canada, Finnish Ice Hockey Association, Swedish Ice Hockey Association and USA Hockey will select the roster of 20 skaters and three goalies.
"At any level, to represent your country, it's a big honor," Auston Matthews of the Leafs said. "At a world stage like the Olympics or the Four Nations Cup, competing against the best players in the NHL and their respective countries, I think it'll be great for the players and obviously, good for the sport, and the fans, I think, will really enjoy it."