Olympics: NHL participation 2026

[HaNotsri]

Looker was involved in a Canada-Latvia game in Latvia where I believe the crowd threw stuff on the ice including a shoe.

They caught the culprit as he was only wearing one shoe.

Should have taken the other one off

 

[jj cale]

Problem with world cup is that it has 0 legitimacy in europe. No one will care. Better to just have a Canadian Cup or NA with different regions/states facing each other.

We might be at that point then, something around a super series between Canada and the U.S that gold standard has been championing for years now. I'd be o.k with that.

But even if that doesn't happen Future world cups can carry on and Canada and the U.S can keep racking up the wins I guess,

As has already been mentioned, the main reason Europeans fans don't consider the Word cup legitimate is that teams from there aside from the Soviet union in 1981 haven't been able to win it, but there is not much we can do about that other then they become good enough to win it, that's what Canada does with the WHC, they don't make excuses, they go over and win it, great hockey countries win tournaments, they don't cry about where they are held all the time and what ice surface is being used and what refs are calling the games.. Winning throws all that stuff out the window, winning is legitimacy enough.

We put our work helmets on, take up the challenge and win big games,simple as that, doesn't matter where the games are being held and under what conditions


I mean, I doubt the NHL sees any sense in spending copious amounts of time and energy in trying to convince European fans of anything, life is short, Europeans fans certainly did the right thing and gave up caring whether N.A fans consider the WHC legitimate or where it is held and because of that they get a high level senior mens tournament every year, it's been to their great benefit to not care.

We have simply followed Europes lead with the Canada/World cups when we have had them, we haven't cared what European fans think.

And life carries on as always.

 

[Wings4Life]

We might be at that point then, something around a super series between Canada and the U.S that gold standard has been championing for years now. I'd be o.k with that.

But even if that doesn't happen Future world cups can carry on and Canada and the U.S can keep racking up the wins I guess,

As has already been mentioned, the main reason Europeans fans don't consider the Word cup legitimate is that teams from there aside from the Soviet union in 1981 haven't been able to win it, but there is not much we can do about that other then they become good enough to win it, that's what Canada does with the WHC, they don't make excuses, they go over and win it, great hockey countries win tournaments, they don't cry about where they are held all the time and what ice surface is being used and what refs are calling the games.. Winning throws all that stuff out the window, winning is legitimacy enough.

We put our work helmets on, take up the challenge and win big games,simple as that, doesn't matter where the games are being held and under what conditions


I mean, I doubt the NHL sees any sense in spending copious amounts of time and energy in trying to convince European fans of anything, life is short, Europeans fans certainly did the right thing and gave up caring whether N.A fans consider the WHC legitimate or where it is held and because of that they get a high level senior mens tournament every year, it's been to their great benefit to not care.

We have simply followed Europes lead with the Canada/World cups when we have had them, we haven't cared what European fans think.

And life carries on as always.

It is sad however that the 1996 World Cup is widely considered a best-on-best tournament, and was done right. It seemed like the start of something great, despite the North American refs etc.

2016 on the other hand is widely considered (with the exception of paid NHL media shills) to not be a true best-on-best tournament, and was a bit of a travesty with the gimmick teams.

Anyway, this thread is about the Olympics, and I believe this summer they were supposed to get one step closer to an agreement with the NHL. The fact that nothing has been announced must not be good news for NHL participation. That said, it's still really early and things could still change (several times over).

 

[KirkAlbuquerque]

hockey needs to be like soccer and emphasize the world cup more . that way it can be played in the offseason. Have the under-23's play in the olympics, and have the WC be best-on-best. Either that or move ice hockey to the summer olympics lol. The way it works now, its just too much of an obstacle to have it in the middle of the nHL season

 

[jj cale]

It is sad however that the 1996 World Cup is widely considered a best-on-best tournament, and was done right. It seemed like the start of something great, despite the North American refs etc.

2016 on the other hand is widely considered (with the exception of paid NHL media shills) to not be a true best-on-best tournament, and was a bit of a travesty with the gimmick teams.

Anyway, this thread is about the Olympics, and I believe this summer they were supposed to get one step closer to an agreement with the NHL. The fact that nothing has been announced must not be good news for NHL participation. That said, it's still really early and things could still change (several times over).

The 2016 WC was a sham, embarrassing.

It's anyones guess what is going to happen with the olympics, personally I would like to turf going there and get a proper World Cup running but that is up in the air too about how they are going to go about it.

 

[BigBadBoar]

The players really seem they want to be at the 2026 Olympics, while not being interested in the World Cup idea. I don't know why, but I have a suspicion that that gimmicky 2016 World Cup ruined the World Cup moniker in the eyes of the players themselves. :/

 

[Albatros]

hockey needs to be like soccer and emphasize the world cup more . that way it can be played in the offseason. Have the under-23's play in the olympics, and have the WC be best-on-best. Either that or move ice hockey to the summer olympics lol. The way it works now, its just too much of an obstacle to have it in the middle of the nHL season

Releasing U23 players for the Olympics wouldn't be an obstacle? Some NHL rosters would be completely depleted. For example Ottawa would have lost all of Tkachuk, Stützle, Norris, and Formenton last season.

 

[ijuka]

The players really seem they want to be at the 2026 Olympics, while not being interested in the World Cup idea. I don't know why, but I have a suspicion that that gimmicky 2016 World Cup ruined the World Cup moniker in the eyes of the players themselves. :/

Or maybe Olympics just is a much bigger thing for players than World Cup and that it has nothing to do with it being best-on-best and everything to do with it being Olympics.

 

[waitin425]

Any 2026 Team Predictions with NHL players?

Laf - McDavid - MacKinnon
Stamkos - Bedard - Marner
Huburdeau - Crosby - Point
Thomas - Suzuki - Kyrou
McTavish

Byram - Makar
Theodore - Ekblad
Chychrun - Power
Chabot

Hart
Cossa

 

[BigBadBoar]

Or maybe Olympics just is a much bigger thing for players than World Cup and that it has nothing to do with it being best-on-best and everything to do with it being Olympics.

Definitely the traditional status of the Olympics is playing an important role. I believe NHL players will be in Italy 2026. The players mostly want it, CBA is on their side this time, Bettman kind of promised it after they cancelled the 2022 participation because of COVID.

 

[Silky Johnson]

Definitely the traditional status of the Olympics is playing an important role. I believe NHL players will be in Italy 2026. The players mostly want it, CBA is on their side this time, Bettman kind of promised it after they cancelled the 2022 participation because of COVID.

It's the default position. The last Olympics would have happened save for coronavirus. 2026 will happen, Canada will win. People will try to make excuses but will only look stupid.

 

[BigBadBoar]

It's the default position. The last Olympics would have happened save for coronavirus. 2026 will happen, Canada will win. People will try to make excuses but will only look stupid.

I am not sure who will win but I too belive it will happen.

 

[Albatros]

Hockey Canada or the NHL certainly haven't been operating with enough integrity to get to officiate their own international games either.

 

[NyQuil]

Personally, I’d rather play the US with American NHL refs than with Canadian IIHF refs.

 

[Mathieukferland]

Personally, I’d rather play the US with American NHL refs than with Canadian IIHF refs.

Yeah, for instance the most recent Canada-USA women’s gold medal game in Beijing had American referees, and it didn’t particularly bother me, I thought they did a good job. I think worrying about nationality is more of a European thing, I would have no issue if Chris Rooney did a Canada-USA gold medal game rather than have IIHF referees

 

[Albatros]

The idea that an IIHF license by default makes a referee bad whereas the NHL stands for quality is quite absurd. In Sochi we had for example Tim Peel who recently got caught up in a game management scandal which evidently is a common practice in the league.

 

[JackSlater]

Yeah, for instance the most recent Canada-USA women’s gold medal game in Beijing had American referees, and it didn’t particularly bother me, I thought they did a good job. I think worrying about nationality is more of a European thing, I would have no issue if Chris Rooney did a Canada-USA gold medal game rather than have IIHF referees

Yeah, and Americans didn't piss and moan about McCreary refereeing the 2002 or 2010 gold medal games either. Europeans are very fixated on it and seemingly cannot imagine that competent referees do a professional job and might value their reputation over fandom. We often hear about how hockey should be more like soccer, even though soccer is a much more corrupt sport... but of course that should be unremarked upon.

 

[NyQuil]

The idea that an IIHF license by default makes a referee bad whereas the NHL stands for quality is quite absurd. In Sochi we had for example Tim Peel who recently got caught up in a game management scandal which evidently is a common practice in the league.

What’s absurd is the idea that nationality trumps competence.

It’s even funnier when Europeans back it up with reasons for bias that are rooted in socio-political rivalries or historical events dating back to World War II.

 

[Silky Johnson]

Hockey Canada or the NHL certainly haven't been operating with enough integrity to get to officiate their own international games either.

Thats a silly thing to say. And comparing Canada and Russia is laughable. Also, how are Canada and the NHL the same thing? They were NHL referees not Hockey Canada referees no?

Do you have specific examples or evidence of the referees acting improperly?

Stop throwing shade on one of the greatest defensive performances in the history of hockey.

 

[Albatros]

What’s absurd is the idea that nationality trumps competence.

It’s even funnier when Europeans back it up with reasons for bias that are rooted in socio-political rivalries or historical events dating back to World War II.

There are very competent referees in every major hockey country, it's not either or.

 

[NyQuil]

There are very competent referees in every major hockey country, it's not either or.

It would be nice if the IIHF hired them.

 

[Albatros]

It would be nice if the IIHF hired them.

The IIHF doesn't hire anyone but grants international refereeing licenses in three categories, the highest is eligible for the Olympics. Licensing requests are made by national federations and every participating national federation must approve the full list of referees proposed for the particular competition, meaning that for example Hockey Canada have the right to veto any IIHF referee nomination they don't agree with.

 

[um]

They actually are more interested now because of the host.

I remember when they said that about China

 

[BigBadBoar]

I remember when they said that about China

The reason they were not in China was COVID. There's no need for conspiracy theories. They would be here otherwise, as by the CBA, which has a legal impact.

 

[JackSlater]

The IIHF doesn't hire anyone but grants international refereeing licenses in three categories, the highest is eligible for the Olympics. Licensing requests are made by national federations and every participating national federation must approve the full list of referees proposed for the particular competition, meaning that for example Hockey Canada have the right to veto any IIHF referee nomination they don't agree with.

Having NHL referees in the Olympics is an NHL requirement, and the pool of NHL referees is primarily Canadian with some Americans. I recall reading before the 2014 Olympics that the European NHLers, for the most part, were also in favour of having NHL referees in all of their games. The NHL referees do fall under certain federations, for example the referee who was getting ripped (mainly erroneously) in Sochi for a call in Russia vs USA was a Hockey Canada referee, though people googled him and saw his birthplace and took out the pitchforks.