Gary Bettman Confirms Major Rumor On National TV

Hockey fans have been starved of international play over the past few years, as the NHL and Gary Bettman have refused to allow NHL players to participate in the Olympics.

The World Cup of Hockey that the NHL has hosted in the past has not made its return since COVID halted it from occurring a few years back. Many rumours of its potential return have also circulated.

Now, Gary Bettman has provided a massive update on his intention to have NHL players return to international play.

Bettman essentially has confirmed that best-on-best international play is coming back and that the announcement of what that will look like is coming soon. What we still don't know is exactly what that will look like.

The most likely case is that the NHL is bringing back the World Cup of Hockey that they held in the past. This is something that the NHL has nearly full control over, and hosting it in North America gives them the control and power over the tournament that Bettman and the NHL wouldn't get for the Olympics.

Importantly for Bettman, it would also give the NHL a massive cut of the profits that they wouldn't get for an Olympic Hockey break.

The World Cup of Hockey was a massive success, though, when it was held previously. Either way, seeing hockey's best players play for an international trophy is something that all fans want to see in any shape in the near future.

As seen on Oilers Daily - "Gary Bettman confirms the NHL is bringing back a critical feature of hockey"