Hockey fans worldwide are excited to hear the news! The National Hockey League has announced they will be returning to compete in the 2026 and 2030 Olympics. It has been ten long years since we’ve seen some of our favorite players representing our country.

Rejoining the Olympics was a controversial debate within the NHL. As a compromise, the NHL has announced they will be switching off every two years between participating in the Olympics, and participating in the World Cup. Additionally, in the 2025 season, in place of the NHL All Star game, they will host a Four Nations Face-Off tournament between the United States, Canada, Sweden, and Finland. This Face- Off will take place in two events, one in the United States, and the other in Canada. The All Star game is set to return in 2026. 

“I have no problem with this format. I think it will draw in more real hockey fans as the All-Star game, as it is now, is not ‘real hockey.’ Many real fans don’t even watch the All Star game because it is somewhat of a joke,” English Teacher, and die hard hockey fan, Mr. Noah Duncan said.  

Not only will this bring in crowds of true hockey fans, many of the players we know and love have never been to the Olympics, and with the last World Cup being in 2016, this year’s Face- Off tournament will be the first time for many players to show off their talent, and athletic ability on a multi-national level. 

“I would love for NHL players to be involved in the Olympics. Real hockey fans want to see the best players in the world play for their country, and go head to head against others. It would also be better for the growth of the game if you can showcase the best players on the global scale,”  Junior Jackson Meyer said. 

Meyer shares common ideas with NHL Commissioner Gary Bergman, who announced the return to the Olympics. Along with the return, Bergman explained the motives behind rejoining. As he described it, the return is part of a larger plan to expand the NHL on a global level.