If there was any doubt left that NHL players would participate in the 2026 Olympics in Milan, that doubt has been ousted. Today, the NHL and all parties have announced that Olympic participation for next year has been confirmed.
This is huge news for the NHL, IIHF and game of hockey as a whole to have this event in place without question. The NHL was supposed to participate in the last Winter Olympics in 2022, but opted out last minute mostly due to concerns with travel and the Covid pandemic as it took place in China.
This 2026 Olympics will be the first time that NHL players have taken part in the Olympics since 2014. The Winter Olympics that have taken place since then have not seen true best on best international competition. The only other time before this year that we have seen something resembling that was the 2016 World Cup of Hockey.
The other event in question of course was the 2025 Four Nations Faceoff, which was a resounding success. The amount of growth this showcase had for the game of hockey was special. And to see that level of competition for the first time in nearly a decade was a blessing for the hockey world that had been waiting patiently for it. The Canada vs USA games in particular are arguably some of the best hockey games that have ever been played from a viewership standpoint. It was also a nice taste for the 2026 Olympics that is on the horizon.
