2028 World Cup host sites could be announced during 2026 Olympics

STOCKHOLM -- Excitement already is building in Europe for the 2028 World Cup of Hockey following the success of the 4 Nations Face-Off earlier this year.

Six cities have submitted bids to host World Cup games, NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly said on Friday before the Nashville Predators defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins 2-1 in overtime in the first game of the NHL Global Series Sweden presented by Fastenal. The teams will play here again Sunday (9 a.m. ET; FDSNSO, SN-PIT, NHLN, SN).

"We're in the process, well along in the process, of reviewing the bids," Daly said Friday. "And we hope to be in a position to make announcements with respect to the host cities both in North America and Europe in conjunction with the Olympics."

The men's ice hockey tournament at the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026 will be held Feb. 11-22. It will be the first Olympics to include NHL players since the 2014 Sochi Games.

Coming two years after the 2026 Olympics, the 2028 World Cup of Hockey will build on the growing momentum for international competition featuring NHL players that began with the 4 Nations Face-Off, which included teams from Sweden, Finland, Canada and the United States, in February.

"I think when we think [about] the success of the 4 Nations, where we had four teams in the tournament in Montreal and in Boston and the excitement of fans all around the world ... I think it was the second largest watched sporting event in the history of Finland," NHL Players' Association executive director Marty Walsh said. "So now you're taking that and multiplying that and getting more teams, more countries involved, more engaged.

"Having games somewhere in Europe is going to allow fans in Europe to not travel across the Atlantic Ocean to see games, (and) you're going to have games in North America, somewhere in North America. It could be potentially incredible."

Added NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman: "And we’re excited. I agree with what [Walsh] said."

Selecting the host cities two years ahead will help with preparation and add to the excitement in the buildup to the first World Cup of Hockey since 2016 in Toronto.

"4 Nations, we didn't have as much timing to plan it as we do for the World Cup, a very short period of time, and [you saw] the success there," Walsh said. "Now you're talking about we have a lot more time to do it. Working very closely together, people are excited, countries are excited, the players are excited, fans are excited, so it's going to be incredible."

NHL.com senior writer Amalie Benjamin contributed to this report