The National Hockey League has not sent its best players to an Olympic Winter Games since 2014. That is when the best hockey players in the world played in Sochi, Russia with Canada beating Sweden 3-0 in a dramatic gold medal game.
In 2018 at the Olympic Winter Games in Pyeongchang, there was a dispute between the NHL and International Olympic Committee, who would pay for accommodation, travel and insurance. The IOC historically paid those bills according to Jennifer Calfas of Time Magazine, but were no longer interested in paying them. Then at the 2022 Olympic Winter Games in Beijing, the reason was related to the Coronavirus. A significant portion of the NHL season was postponed because of the disease, and NHL players stayed home as a result.
What is happening in 2026?
Well on February 2, 2024, representatives from the NHL and International Ice Hockey Federation came to an agreement for the NHL’s return. Now there are reports that the NHL might just back out after all. The reason at this time is connected to the arena. The construction of the main hockey arena in Milan has not yet been completed and NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly has used the term “possibility” in discussing the chances of NHL players not going this time around.
Embarrassing look
Not having the arena built on time is an embarrassing look. All parties simply knew when the 2026 Olympic Winter Games would be and not having the arena built comes down to terrible management from an organizational perspective.
Now there are further reports, that when the arena is built, the dimensions will be incorrect. According to Sports Illustrated, the rink will be 196.85 feet by 85.3 feet. That is three feet shorter than a NHL rink. At this stage, just having the arena built is the most important step.
When does the Olympic men’s hockey tournament officially start?
The tournament will commence on February 11 with two Group B games. The games will feature Slovakia versus Finland, and Sweden versus Italy. Group A and Group C will begin on February 12. The Group A teams consist of Canada, Czechia, Switzerland and France. The Group C teams consist of the United States, Denmark, Latvia and Germany. It should be noted that all 12 teams from the preliminary round make the playoffs. The top four teams get a bye to the quarterfinals.
