Edmonton, Calgary and Prague named host cities for the 2028 World Cup of Hockey

Edmonton, Calgary and Prague have been selected as the host cities for the next edition of the World Cup of Hockey in 2028. The NHL and the NHL Players' Association unveiled their choices Monday of the two Canadian cities and the capital of the Czech Republic in connection with the league's annual March general managers meeting in South Florida. "We at the National Hockey League and our partners at the National Hockey League Players' Association can't wait to bring the World Cup of Hockey 2028 to three spectacular venues in three cities that shine when staging big events," Commissioner Gary Bettman said upon announcing the decision. "We know Calgary, Edmonton and Prague will serve as fantastic hosts for hockey fans from all over the globe, and that the greatest hockey players in the world will compete on a level that will make this event truly memorable." The bidding process began with expressions of interest in June, with formal proposals from 25 locations in September narrowing the field. Edmonton was one of the sites of the pandemic "bubbles" used to hold the playoffs in 2020. Calgary is set to open a new arena for the Flames in the fall of 2027 to replace the aging Saddledome. Prague has hosted nine of the league's regular-season games. The event is being brought back as part of the plan to have an international competition with the NHL's top players every even-numbered year, either the World Cup or the Olympics. NHL players returned to the Olympic stage in Milan after a 12-year absence, with the U.S. beating Canada in overtime in a memorable gold medal game that put the sport in the spotlight beyond just the hockey community. "Coming off the amazing international hockey played at the recent Olympic Winter Games, NHL players are very excited to return to international hockey at the World Cup of Hockey 2028," NHLPA executive director Marty Walsh said. "Calgary, Edmonton and Prague are cities with very deep roots in hockey, and the games will be played in three hockey venues that will be amongst the best in the world." The last World Cup of Hockey took place in 2016 and before that 2004 and 1996, with labor strife among the reasons it has not been staged regularly. The plan is for an eight-team tournament and 17 total games, taking place in February 2028, though the countries have not been determined and no decision has been made yet whether to allow Russian players to participate. Calgary and Prague are set to host seven games, six round-robin and one elimination game each, with the semifinals and championship game in Edmonton. Unlike the Olympics, which had 3-on-3 overtime in the gold medal game, the World Cup will be 5 on 5, like the playoffs.