The World Cup of Hockey is close to returning in 2024. The NHL and NHL Players’ Association are working together to plan a 17-day event in February that will be held in North America and Europe.
The plan is to have an eight-team tournament with the possibility of adding two teams to create a qualification round. Select European and North American cities are being discussed as hosts for the tournament. The games will be played over 15 days, with travel days before and after the event.
Russia’s participation in the tournament is still being debated. The NHL continues to suspend all business relationships in Russia since its invasion of Ukraine in February. Following the International Ice Hockey Federation mandate, the nation is suspended from all international competitions until further notice.
The World Cup of Hockey is part of a larger plan to promote the game globally. The 2022 NHL Global Series takes place this season with Nashville playing a preseason game in Bern, Switzerland, on October 3 and San Jose playing a game in Berlin, Germany, on October 4. The two teams will play two regular season games in Prague on October 7 and 8. The Series will conclude with two games between the Colorado Avalanche and Columbus Blue Jackets in Tampere, Finland, on November 4 and 5. The league has not held games outside North America since 2019.
NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly said that the NHL is planning the 2023 Global Series and reported that several teams are interested. The league continues to explore playing games in Paris and London and is also attempting to promote the game in China.
