Summer has just begun and the sun is high up in the sky, but winter will arrive all too soon and with it the 2026 winter Olympic games. And when the athletes from the United States march into the stadium for the Milan-Cortina Winter Games, members of the National Hockey League will be among them.
In a deal signed by the NHL, NHL Player’s Association, the International Ice Hockey Federation, and the International Olympic Committee professional hockey players will be on the ice representing the USA for the first time since 2014.
IIHF president Luc Tardif said it was, “a major step forward for our sport.”
The current deal runs through to the 2030 Olympics.
The 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympic Games hockey tournament is set to run February 11-22 and will include 12 teams.