OLYMPIC GAMES: NHL players will return to Olympic games in 2026, 2030

TORONTO — Players in the National Hockey League are making a return to the Olympics.

NHL players will be eligible to participate in 2026 and 2030, per an announcement made during a press conference on Friday in Toronto.

The change is part of an agreement of the NHL, the NHL Players Association and the International Ice Hockey Federation.

“The international composition of National Hockey League rosters is unparalleled, and NHL Players take great pride in representing their countries,” NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said. “We are pleased that today, after intense collaborative efforts with the NHL Players’ Association and the International Ice Hockey Federation, we can formally announce that NHL Players will participate in both the 2026 and 2030 Olympic hockey tournaments.”

The 2026 Olympic games will be held in Milan, Italy from Feb. 6 to Feb. 22. Hockey games will take place on NHL-sized rinks.

The last time NHL players were in the Olympics was in 2014.