ESPN has reported that the NHL's international hockey tournament, scheduled for February 2025, is set to feature only four national teams — the U.S., Canada, Sweden and Finland.
Since its revival in 2016 as a preseason match in Toronto, the NHL and NHLPA have been working to organize the next World Cup of Hockey tournament. The objective was to host this international competition before the 2026 Winter Olympics.
However, due to the limited scale of the 2025 event, reports say it will not be referred to as the World Cup of Hockey.
"We're hopeful to have an international tournament in February 2025," said NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly.
"We're working with the players' association on the construct of that. Then, after that, we would like to be in a regular rotation between the Olympics and the World Cup every other year. That obviously involves us having an agreement to go to Milan , and that is still a work in progress."
As the NHL envisions holding the tournament every four years in between Winter Olympic tournaments, the next attempt at a World Cup of Hockey is anticipated to be in 2028.
The proposed format for the 2025 tournament includes the U.S. and Canada playing two games in North America, while Sweden and Finland would engage in two matches in either of those two nations.
The winners, determined by points or aggregate goals, would then face the second-best team from the other matchup, likely in North America. The victors of these "semifinals" will compete for the championship.
While star players such as Connor McDavid, Cale Makar, Auston Matthews, Jack Eichel and Jack Hughes have expressed their eagerness to represent their countries in the "best on best" international tournament, it's unlikely such competition will happen due to the limited format of the 2025 tournament.
"Theoretically, that's important. As a practical matter, that may not be realistic," said Bettman of a 2025 "best on best" tournament. "We might get there over time. We may have to evolve into a more inclusive World Cup. It's a work in progress."
The 2025 tournament is expected to last about a week, with the NHL pausing regular games. Final details, including locations, are still in the works, with the possibility of hosting the entire event in one location.
Russia's absence
As plans for the 2025 tournament take shape, it has been revealed that Russian players will be absent from the competition. The NHL grapples with the challenge of integrating Russian-born players into an international competition amid the global hockey community's strong disapproval of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
In response to the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) banning Russia and Belarus from participating in tournaments until 2024, the NHL has severed all business ties in Russia. This included shutting down its Russian-language website and terminating media and sponsorship deals following the February 2022 invasion.
The NHL had considered allowing Russian players to compete under a neutral name and flag, distancing them from direct representation of their nation in the upcoming World Cup of Hockey.
However, Daly noted in 2022 that this proposal was not welcomed by other participating countries, leading to widespread advocacy for the exclusion of Russian players from the tournament altogether.