NHL players set to return to Olympics

*Photo from Team USA Hockey*

   The long hoped for return is now happening. The NHL, NHLPA, and IIHF announced on Friday that NHL players will return to Olympic play, with NHL players set to participate in the 2026 and 2030 Winter Olympics.

   NHL players haven't been allowed to play in a best on best tournament since the 2016 World Cup of Hockey and haven't played in the Olympics since the 2014 Sochi games. They had previously agreed to play in the Beijing Olympics in 2022, but the NHL ended the agreement due to concerns surrounding Covid-19 at the time.

   At the same time, the league announced plans for a 4 nations faceoff in 2025 featuring NHL players from the U.S., Canada, Sweden, and Finland. The tournament will be held in Boston and Montreal and will take the place of the All Star Game. There will be an All Star Game before the 2026 Olympics.

   Oilers captain Connor McDavid said "Obviously, I've been vocal about this. I feel like it's important for hockey as we continue to try to grow the game internationally and at home. I think it's a great thing. It's an exciting schedule, something that people can look forward to."

   NHL players started participating in the Olympics in 1998 in Nagano, Japan. They have played in the Olympics 5 times, playing in 1998, 2002, 2006, 2010, and 2014. Given the weeks break associated with playing in the Olympics, the owners were never too thrilled about it, and NHL players didn't compete in the 2018 or 2022 Winter Olympics.

   Commissioner Gary Bettman said of players returning to the Olympics that "There is a recognition of how important this is to the players, and in the spirit of cooperation, particularly the work that we did together during COVID, everybody felt on our side that it was the right thing to do. This really came down to doing something because the players really wanted it."

   The 2026 Olympics are taking place in Milan, Italy, while IIHF president Luc Tardiff said the 2030 games will take place in France. The 2024 Summer games are also taking place in France, with Paris the host city.