NHL to allow players to compete at Winter Olympics in 2026 and 2030

TORONTO — The NHL is heading back to the Olympics.

Commissioner Gary Bettman announced today during the league’s all-star festivities that its players will be allowed to compete at the 2026 Winter Games in Milan and Cortina, Italy, and at the 2030 Games, which is currently without a host city.

The NHL went to the Games five times between 1998 and 2014 — the last best-on-best men’s tournament — before skipping the 2018 event for financial reasons.

The league was set to return to the 2022 Olympics in Beijing, but backed out because of COVID-19 concerns.