Major international hockey expansion plans unveiled by the NHL

NHL unveils bold plans for regular international hockey tournament

Fans craving top-tier, “best-on-best” international hockey may finally have something to celebrate. The news comes directly from National Hockey League deputy commissioner Bill Daly, who shared details during a recent podcast with veteran NHL analyst Pierre McGuire.

Daly revealed that the NHL intends to launch a regular, global tournament featuring the world’s top talent. “We have a commitment to do a World Cup of Hockey every four years,” he said. “We have a plan for the World Cup of Hockey 2028, and we hope to announce the cities that will host games coming out of the Olympic break.”

The tournament will feature preliminary rounds split between North America and Europe, with eight nations represented — four teams in each location. The top two teams from each pool will advance to the finals, held in North America.

If executed as planned, this could result in a “best-on-best” international tournament every two years, alternating with the Winter Olympic Games, giving fans consistent, high-quality global hockey action.

With Daly’s authority behind the announcement, anticipation is high. The only remaining question is: which cities will be chosen to host the first games of this revamped World Cup of Hockey?