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NHL Announces 2028 World Cup of Hockey Tournament
Get ready for the 2028 World Cup as top hockey players gather in Edmonton, Calgary, and Prague to showcase elite talent.
The World Cup of Hockey is returning. The NHL’s premier international tournament brings together the league’s top players to represent their home countries or specially formed teams. Jointly organized by the NHL and NHL Players’ Association (NHLPA), the league announced on Monday that Edmonton, Calgary,and Prague will be hosts in 2028.
NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said that 28 cities bid on hosting the World Cup, 18 in North America, 10 in Europe.
The World Cup of Hockey is distinct from IIHF events like the Olympics or World Championships, serving as a “best-on-best” global showcase for elite hockey talent. The tournament is the successor to the historic Canada Cup (1976–1991), relaunched in 1996 with a fresh format and global reach.
The World Cup has been held three times so far. The inaugural 1996 edition saw Team USA defeat Canada in the final. In 2004, Canada claimed the title over Finland, and in 2016 Canada again won, sweeping Team Europe in the best-of-three final. That edition introduced creative teams such as Team North America (players 23 and under from Canada/USA) and Team Europe (players from European nations without full teams).
Overall, Canada leads with two wins to the USA’s one, and the event has consistently produced intense rivalries, particularly between Canada and the United States.
What To Expect From the 2028 Tournament?
The tournament is returning in February 2028, with eight elite nations expected to compete in a mix of pool play and knockout stages. European games will be hosted in Prague, Czechia, while North American pool play takes place in Calgary, Alberta, culminating in the championship phase in Edmonton, Alberta.
For Alberta hockey fans, the 2028 World Cup is especially exciting—Calgary (in their new arena) and Edmonton hosting major stages brings the spotlight to Canadian hockey. Stars like Connor McDavid, Cale Makar, and others could lead Team Canada in front of passionate local crowds.
A media conference will be held on Monday at Rogers Place. It doesn’t sound like the eight participating countries will be named, but the top eight hockey countries will be taking part. Bill Daly says the top three teams in each four-team pool move on, No. 2 vs No. 3 elimination game, then semifinals.
“There is no international competition in sports that matches the passion, skill, and excitement of hockey’s best-on-best coming together to represent their countries — last year’s 4 Nations Face-Off and the recent Winter Olympics were just the latest examples,” Bettman said. “We at the National Hockey League and our partners at the National Hockey League Players’ Association can’t wait to bring the World Cup of Hockey 2028 to three spectacular venues in three cities that shine when staging big events. We know Calgary, Edmonton and Prague will serve as fantastic hosts for hockey fans from all over the globe, and that the greatest hockey players in the world will compete on a level that will make this event truly memorable.”
Next: Goaltender Confusion, Player Safety, and a World Cup Shake-Up
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