The NHL and NHLPA announced Edmonton, Calgary and Prague as the hosts for the 2028 World Cup of Hockey. But who will play where, and will Russia be involved?
After the 4 Nations Face-Off and Olympics, hockey fans have been fortunate to watch incredible best-on-best action. The next time that happens at the NHL level will be at the 2028 World Cup of Hockey.
On Monday, the NHL and NHLPA named Calgary, Edmonton and Prague, Czechia, as the host cities for the 2028 World Cup. That's a massive reward – emotionally and financially – for three reliably puck-mad cities that will no doubt serve as terrific hosts for the thousands of hockey fans who will visit them to watch the best the sport has to offer.
What we don't yet know is which cities will host which national teams and whether Russia will be involved.
There are still no firm dates for the World Cup of Hockey, although we know the tournament will be held in February 2028.
While the World Cup will be an eight-team tourney, the NHL and NHLPA have not identified the eight countries that will take part.
Certainly, some of that has to do with the possibility that Russia's war against Ukraine will be over by then, with the Russians likely being welcomed back into the mix at the World Cup if that were to happen.
"We will follow what the international community is doing in terms of athletics," NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said at the Olympics. "I don't see the need to go weigh in separately. Frankly, in terms of our game and our players — wherever they are from — if we can steer clear of geopolitical issues, not just this one but a whole host of other ones, I think that's better for our game, and it's better for our fans."
If we had to guess, we'll likely see Canada, the United States, Sweden, Finland, Czechia, Switzerland, Germany and either Russia or Slovakia at the 2028 World Cup.
There will be two groups of four teams, with Calgary and Prague hosting round-robin action and one elimination game. Edmonton gets the semifinal and finals, so it will see the best of the best. But with only two North American teams and six European squads, two overseas teams will have to play in Calgary. Will Prague get the best European squads on paper? Only time will tell.
Why Each City Deserves To Host Games
Certainly, all three of Prague, Calgary and Edmonton have been great hosts for hockey for about as long as they’ve been cities. Calgary and Prague will play host to the round-robin World Cup of Hockey games and one elimination game each, while Edmonton will host the semifinals and the championship game. So Edmonton gets the ultimate showdown, and that has to be a particular thrill for that city.
Edmonton has hosted two straight seasons of Stanley Cup final action via the Edmonton Oilers, and the city will host the World Junior Championship in 2027 – the fourth time in the past 15 years. So there will be no concerns about selling out Rogers Place. Getting to see Connor McDavid wearing a non-Oilers jersey will be odd for Edmontonians, but they'll be cheering on McDavid as hard as they do for him at NHL games.
Meanwhile, the Calgary Flames will be able to showcase their brand new arena at the World Cup. The Scotia Place is currently under construction in Calgary, but it is scheduled to open for the NHL's 2027-28 campaign. The state-of-the-art arena is a reward in and of itself for Flames fans who've had lean years when Calgary lacked great success. But like their Albertan rivals in Edmonton, Calgary hockey fans will easily sell out their portion of the World Cup of Hockey.
Finally, Prague has hosted three IIHF World Championships and nine regular-season NHL games as part of the league's attempts to grow its reach. And whether it's rooting for Czechia stars, such as Boston Bruins right winger David Pastrnak, Colorado Avalanche right winger Martin Necas and Anaheim Ducks goalie Lukas Dostal, Czech fans will come out in droves to the O2 Arena to show their love for the game.
All other cities under consideration to stage games would've joyfully taken on the task of hosting the World Cup of Hockey, but the two Alberta cities and the Czech capital now get the next-best-thing to hosting Olympic hockey.
The specifics are still to come, but the World Cup of Hockey is officially starting to take shape. And Prague, Calgary and Edmonton are the big winners. They'll be the places where many fond memories are made, and the World Cup games will become beloved parts of their history.
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