All-Star 11 Games: NHL, NHLPA Put 'A Lot Of Brainpower' In Creating New All-Star Weekend Format

But the format of the games themselves will be dramatically different as the NHL returns to an international scheme: five teams of 11 players from the U.S., Canada, Sweden, Finland and, for lack of a better term, the rest.

That last entry, according to Daly, will include Russians.

Russia, of course, has been locked out of international competition since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, though the IIHF Council will be evaluating Russia's eligibility on a tournament-by-tournament basis.

This becomes particularly relevant for the NHL's planned World Cup of Hockey in 2028, but there is still more information needed from the IIHF on the Russian eligibility front.

Four countries and a "rest of world" squad will clash in the 2027 NHL All-Star Game tournament. Gary Bettman, Bill Daly, Marty Walsh and Ron Hainsey discussed the new weekend format and Russia's participation.

thehockeynews.comAll-Star 11 Games: NHL, NHLPA Put 'A Lot Of Brainpower' In Creating New All-Star Weekend FormatFour countries and a "rest of world" squad will clash in the 2027 NHL All-Star Game tournament. Gary Bettman, Bill Daly, Marty Walsh and Ron Hainsey discussed the new weekend format and Russia's participation.

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