As the NHL continues to state they want to "grow the game" around the world, they have essentially done the opposite at the last two Olympic Winter Games'. Fans have wanted to see the likes of Sidney Crosby and Connor McDavid on the same team and play against Auston Matthews and Patrick Kane, but the NHL elected not to send players to the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympics or 2022 Beijing Olympics. On top of that, they have not held a World Cup of Hockey since 2016.
The players have always wanted to participate in these best-on-best tournaments and the hockey world has wanted to see the next generation of great play with and against each other since they entered the league, but as of yet there has been no agreement reached between the PA, NHL, IOC and/or the IIHF. Today however, NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly revealed that they are progressing in talks across the board and are hoping to have best-on-best tournaments every two years.
"So if we do a '25 international tournament, we do the '26 Olympics, the '28 World Cup of Hockey, the '30 Olympics, the '32 World Cup of Hockey, and so on," Daly said. "That's the goal. What we've said across the table, the various parties, the IIHF, the IOC, the NHLPA and the NHL is, let's strive to do it as quickly as we can, understanding we're not in control of every issue we need to be in control of."
Daly's comments sound like good news to those hoping they will get to see McDavid and Matthews play against each other at one Olympic games at least in 2026, however Daly was also quick to point out that they also have to consider how the IOC and IIHF modify their regulations against Bele-Russian athletes. Given that there is a large contingent of those athletes in the NHL, not having them participate would "water down" any best-on-best tournament significantly and could force the tournament to include teams similar to the North American and European teams like they did in the 2016 World Cup of Hockey.
