Along with the NHL asserting its participation within the Olympics in 2026 and 2030, the League additionally introduced a 4 Nations Face-Off between Canada, the U.S., Sweden, and Finland.
The concept behind it’s to arrange the World Cup of Hockey down the street. We all know the political local weather now, and it will have been exhausting to schedule a best-on-best World Cup of Hockey Match a yr upfront, however what we get is a prelude to that situation with the 4 Nations Faceoff.
Completed Deal: NHL, NHLPA, IOC, and IIHF Agree To Take part within the Olympics
Chris Johnston and Pierre LeBrun of TSN mentioned what this occasion means for the Worldwide Hockey schedule transferring ahead.
** NHLRumors.com Transcription
Mark Masters: “The Worldwide schedule is abruptly getting fairly busy. The 4 Nations Face-Off coming subsequent yr. Chris, why are they doing this?”
Chris Johnston: ” Properly, look, there’s a few challenges. I imply, to begin with, it’s a brief timeframe to prepare an occasion of this nature. You’re speaking a yr from now. This factor goes to be taking place over 9 days in two cities. The opposite a part of it’s that the league is clearly comfy stopping. It’s not going to have an All-Star Recreation subsequent yr. However the different European leagues aren’t going to cease.
For those who take a rustic like Czechia or Slovakia, they’ll’t fill out a workforce with simply NHL gamers. That is simply an NHL occasion. And so I believe lastly that that helps you slim in on the highest 4 player-producing international locations on the earth: Canada, the US, Sweden, and Finland will probably be represented on this event. And you understand, I believe it’s the little appetizer I believe for the total meal to return.”
World Cup of Hockey Wants To Be Greatest-on-Greatest
Pierre LeBrun: “It’s an effective way to place it as a result of actually there’s such a much bigger image to all of this as a result of what the NHL, NHLPA, they weren’t able to formally announce this as a result of there’s nonetheless work to be completed, however they need the total World Cup of Hockey to be performed each two years between the Olympics.
So they need a World Cup of Hockey in 2028. They need a World Cup of Hockey in 2032. And naturally, the Olympics already introduced for ’26 and ’30. Greatest-on-best each two years. I’ll let you know they’ve been dreaming of this situation for about 30 years. Maybe it’s lastly right here.”
Mark Masters: “Properly, when it comes to the 4 Nations Face-Off, Chris, you talked about two host cities. We don’t know these host cities, however we do know one will probably be in Canada, and one will probably be within the US.”
Concerning the host cities for the 4 Nations Face-Off, the rumors are they are going to be in Montreal and Boston.
