On 3 February 2024, the NHL announced an agreement had been reached with the IOC and other governing organizations on the participation of NHL players at the upcoming Winter Games.
Professional ice hockey players in the NHL have not participated in the Olympics since the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics, more than ten years ago.
While the NHL is not the most followed league in sport-obsessed Australia, ice hockey and the NHL have both grown in popularity among Australians.
In an effort to develop the game, the NHL arranged two exhibition matches in Melbourne last September.
On the 25th and 26th of September 2023, the two exhibition games were played at Rod Laver Arena in front of a sold-out crowd.
Members of two NHL team – the Los Angeles Kings and the Arizona Coyotes – were given a taste of playing in a new international environment.
This is far from the Olympic experience, but for several NHL players, the league’s regulations have prohibited the opportunity to compete at the Olympics.
During the lead-up to the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics in South Korea, the NHL announced there would be no official mid-season pause to accommodate the Olympics.
Without a pause in the season, NHL players could not participate in the 2018 games.
Four years later, NHL players couldn’t compete at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics in China because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
At first glance, the resumption of NHL participation may not seem like a big deal to Australian sports fans.
But, allowing NHL players to compete at the Olympic Games unlocks the highest level of ice hockey available to spectators.
Following the announcement by NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman, the ice hockey community was buzzing on social media.
Many fans expressed a long-held desire to see NHL players return to the Olympics.
When asked about the Olympic announcement, players responded with as much enthusiasm as the fans.
Nathan MacKinnon, an alternate captain for the Colorado Avalanche, has previously won a Stanley Cup Championship and NHL achievement awards but is eager for an opportunity to represent Canada at the Olympics.
“Winning the Stanley Cup is one thing, but representing and competing for Canada is a whole other thing, that can really solidify your career, and look back on and be something you are super proud of,” MacKinnon said in an interview with analyst Elliotte Friedman.
During an interview with a news channel in Buffalo, USA, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonena Finnish goaltender playing in the NHL, expressed his excitement for the NHL and IOC agreement: “Everybody wants to play in the NHL, but the biggest thing is to play for your country in an Olympics, so it’s a really really cool thing to see.”
Including NHL players in the upcoming Olympic Games advances the level of play to the premier professional levels – and a country obsessed with sports the way Australia is will appreciate a competition that includes athletes of the highest calibre.
Fans in Australia and worldwide will see 12 countries compete in the Men’s Ice Hockey event at the 2026 Winter Games, with rosters including NHL talent.
