Best-on-best hockey is finally back. Commissioner Gary Bettman announced that NHL players will represent their respective countries in the 2026 and 2030 Olympics for the first time since 2014, per Chris Johnston of The Athletic. Fans won't have to wait quite as long to see the top players in the world battle it out in an international competition, however.
The league is implementing the 2025 Four Nations Tournament for next season, which will exclusively pit NHL players from the United States, Canada, Sweden and Finland against one another in a Round Robin Format. It will serve as a substitute for the All-Star Game and feature seven games from Feb. 12-20, via NHL.com's Dan Rosen. Boston, Massachusetts and Montreal, Quebec are the host cities for the inaugural proceedings.
Fans have been clamoring for an international showcase for a long time, so this is monumental news. Everyone has their preferences when it comes to watching the Winter Olympics, but hockey is a main draw for so many viewers. And the NHL is the nucleus of the sport.
There is high demand to see the greatest players in the game today fight for national pride and a gold medal. Images of T.J. Oshie's heroic shootout goal to propel the U.S. past Russia in the 2014 Sochi Games have stuck in people's brains for a decade. The opportunity to recreate that type of electricity exists once again following this decision.
The Four Nations Tournament figures to be an excellent teaser for the fun that will be had in Italy in 2026.
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