The NHL is one of the biggest ice hockey leagues worldwide, and millions of eyes watch each season it plays out.
Many enjoy the highly competitive action found on an ice rink, taking full advantage of what this sport can provide them. Fans worldwide support their teams as much as possible by attending matches, wearing team colors, hosting viewing parties, or betting on sports.
Betting on ice hockey has boomed in recent years, with fans now able to access a plethora of NHL odds and markets with convenience and ease.
They are able to place a bet on the upcoming Stanley Cup, with the Vegas Golden Knights (+750), Boston Bruins (+900), New York Rangers (+900), Colorado Avalanche (+1,000) and Dallas Stars (+1,200) the top five favorites for the prestigious trophy in 2023.
However, while the sport is still proving to be popular with fans, the NHL is looking at ways to improve its overall product. It has seen other major professional sports leagues in the country implement new innovations and formats to try and help increase their global stature and appeal. It seems they are ready to follow suit with one of their own.
What is the NHL’s plan for the four-team international tournament?
The league recently made the announcement that they intend to host an in-season four-team international tournament beginning with the 2025 season. Their intention is for it to feature four national teams from different nations that compete, rotating annually to keep the competition fresh and varied each time around. They would also like to include participation in Olympic events and World Cup tournaments in this plan.
There has been no official confirmation of the tournament aside from the fact that the league is focusing on it, with NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman having already announced the format. He did not reveal the teams that would be involved, but the inaugural competition would likely feature the USA, Canada, Sweden, and Finland.
Early plans also suggest that it will be limited to the players who play in the NHL only, while the tournament could take place across multiple locations. Nonetheless, the details are still being discussed and drawn up at this moment.
Should the in-season tournament come to fruition and happen in 2025, it would have been 11 years since the last time the NHL did an international competition, with the last in-season break being for the 2014 Sochi Olympics. The last international tournament the NHL participated or hosted was in 2016, with that year’s World Cup of Hockey.
What does the NHL want to achieve?
The League has recognized how much their players desire to play competitive international hockey. Bettman also references their ultimate goal: to have a four-year cycle featuring the Olympics and World Cup every two years.
They also stated that they wanted to be as flexible as possible to make it happen as they understand the importance for players, but admitted that there is still work to do, as there has been no agreement for the 2026 Olympics set to be held in Milan. A meeting has been scheduled with the International Olympic Committee, but the NHL bosses also stressed it is up to the IOC and the IIHF to make it possible.
Contracts across the NHL have also been identified as an area in which issues need to be resolved if a four-team international in-season tournament is to go ahead. Players would need to be insured on their NHL contracts, while they would also need to be accommodated for travel and living when in Milan with their families.
Will it happen?
No definitive plans have yet been laid for a new competition. However, the league remains open to exploring different avenues towards that end goal as they have admitted that they are focused on an end result.
Time will tell whether this event goes as intended, but it would hardly come as any surprise if its first edition began as scheduled in 2025 and we were to see another type of tournament finally come back to the NHL for the first time in a while.
Android Users, Click To Download The Free Press App And Never Miss A Story. Follow Us On Facebook and Twitter. Sign up for our free newsletter.
We can’t do this without your help. Visit our GiveSendGo page and donate any dollar amount; every penny helps.