NHL players officially to take part in 2026 Olympics

National Hockey League players will take part in the Winter Olympics in 2026 for the first time in 12 years.

In a meeting Wednesday at the International Olympic Committee headquarters in Switzerland, representatives from the NHL, the players association and the International Ice Hockey Federation executed an agreement confirming the players' participation next winter in Italy.

The agreement also covers NHL players taking part in the 2030 Winter Games in France.

"This is a tremendous day for international ice hockey and for fans across the globe," IIHF president Luc Tardif said. "At the initiative of the IIHF, we have worked collaboratively with NHL and NHLPA in close collaboration with the IOC and Milano Cortina Organizing Committee to make this a reality. Bringing the best players in the world back to the Olympic Games in 2026 is a major step forward for our sport."

NHL players last took part in the Olympics in Sochi, Russia, in 2014. Four years later, the NHL and IOC couldn't agree on who would pay for travel and other agreements for the 2018 Olympics in South Korea.

Issues relating to the pandemic kept NHL players out of the 2022 Olympics in Beijing.

It has been presumed NHL players would participate in the 2026 Games. On June 16, the 12 countries participating in men's hockey in Milano Cortina 2026 named the first six preliminary players to their national rosters. Most of them are NHL players.

The United States' preliminary contingent consists of Jack Eichel (Vegas Golden Knights), Quinn Hughes (Vancouver Canucks), Auston Matthews (Toronto Maple Leafs), Charlie McAvoy (Boston Bruins), Brady Tkachuk (Ottawa Senators) and Matthew Tkachuk (Florida Panthers).

"Best-on-best international tournaments like the Olympics provide the opportunity to create extraordinary moments for our players and fans alike," said Marty Walsh, executive director of the NHL Players' Association. "The return to the Olympics marks a monumental moment for hockey and we thank our partners the NHL, IOC and IIHF for this collaborative process. The skill and passion on display in Milano-Cortina will build off the excitement of the 4 Nations Face-Off and continue our game's global growth."

Men's hockey competition in the 2026 Olympics runs from Feb. 11-22.

--Field Level Media