NHL Announces Calgary, Edmonton & Prague as 2028 World Cup of Hockey Hosts
Calgary and Edmonton, Alberta, will share hosting duties with Prague, Czechia, for the return of the World Cup of Hockey in February 2028, the NHL announced on Tuesday, . The tournament, a best-on-best international competition featuring the world’s top hockey players, marks a significant milestone for Calgary’s modern arena, Scotia Place, currently under construction.
Scotia Place, slated to open before the NHL season, will host seven games, including six round-robin matchups and one elimination game. Edmonton’s Rogers Place will host both semi-final games and the championship final. Prague’s O2 Arena will also host seven games, mirroring Calgary’s schedule.
The announcement signals a renewed commitment to international hockey competitions involving NHL players. The NHL and NHLPA previously announced plans for the tournament last year, aligning it with a cycle of alternating World Cup and Olympic participation every two years. This arrangement ensures top NHL talent can regularly compete on the global stage, with the league pausing operations during these events.
NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman emphasized the importance of the World Cup, stating, “There is no international competition in sports that matches the passion, skill and excitement of hockey’s best-on-best coming together to represent their countries.” He highlighted the success of the recent 4 Nations Face-Off and the Milano-Cortina Winter Olympics as examples of the appeal of such competitions.
The return of the World Cup addresses a gap in the international hockey calendar. Following the 2014 Winter Olympics, the NHL ceased sending players to the Games, and the last World Cup of Hockey was held in . This left the IIHF Men’s World Championships as the primary international option for NHL players, but its timing often clashes with the Stanley Cup Playoffs, limiting participation from top stars.
The 4 Nations Face-Off, featuring teams from Finland, Sweden, Canada, and the United States, served as a precursor to the World Cup’s revival, offering a taste of high-level international competition with NHL players.
Notably, the World Cup will be organized independently of the IIHF, meaning only NHL players are eligible to participate. European leagues will not be permitted to include players in their national teams. The tournament will adhere to NHL rules, rink size, and officiating standards, differing from international regulations.
The World Cup of Hockey has a relatively short history, succeeding the Canada Cup. The United States won the inaugural tournament in , defeating Canada in the final. Canada emerged victorious in , triumphing over Finland.
Attempts to revive the tournament in and were hampered by labor disputes between the NHL and NHLPA. A planned edition was shelved due to a scheduling conflict with the Winter Olympics in Beijing. Subsequently, the NHL and the International Olympic Committee decided against releasing players for the Games due to concerns surrounding the Covid-19 pandemic.
Further plans to stage the tournament in were also abandoned. Reports indicated that issues stemming from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, specifically questions regarding the participation of Russian players, contributed to the decision. The IIHF banned Russia from international play in all age categories in February , extending the ban through the season, citing security concerns.
The construction of Scotia Place, which broke ground on , is a key component of Calgary’s broader Culture + Entertainment District development. The arena, designed to replace the Scotiabank Saddledome as the home of the Calgary Flames, is a $1.223 billion project encompassing district improvements ($296.9 million) and the event centre block ($926.4 million). The design incorporates Indigenous cultural perspectives and reflects the natural beauty of the region, featuring a flame motif that emulates a home fire.
Mayor Jyoti Gondek highlighted the significance of Scotia Place, stating, “When you consider that Calgary is already the envy of other cities with a new world-class convention centre in the heart of the Culture + Entertainment District, the addition of Scotia Place is another signal to investors that our city understands how to build a future that leverages hospitality and hosting as its core strengths.”