The Four Nations Face-Off is quickly approaching, and with the NHL set to return to the 2026 Olympic Games, international hockey is becoming more and more important in the coming years.
In past years, the IIHF has played a key role in the World Championships, which often doesn't feature the top players in the world, but now, things are set to change, according to Darren Dreger.
Dreger's latest report has revealed that the NHL has now informed the IIHF that they will be going forward with a World Cup of Hockey starting in 2028 without their help, looking to finally put the best hockey players in the world on the biggest stage on a more consistent basis.
With players representing Canada, USA, Sweden, Finland, Russia, Belarus, France, Denmark, Germany, and so many other countries now in the NHL, the international player base is as strong as ever, with the depth to now play a genuine World Cup moving forward.
According to Dreger's report, the league is set to announce something related to this during the Four Nations Face-Off, which is having a tough time drawing in the interest of the hockey world, with the hope that a World Cup will draw the very best players to the tournament.
Hockey is a sport that continues to grow and evolve all around the world, and with the expanding fan bases and the business of the NHL booming, this next step makes perfect sense, so look towards something being announced in the very near future.