The Winter Olympic Games will once again feature the presence of NHL stars. Players from the best ice hockey league in the world will be able to compete in the next Milan-Cortina d’Ampezzo 2026 edition.

The news was confirmed by commissioner Gary Bettman during the NHL’s latest All-Star Weekend in Toronto. “We know that they love to represent their countries,” he said on that occasion. It took two Olympic cycles for the NHL to once again allow its players to compete in the Winter Olympics, with Sochi 2014 being the last opportunity.

Since then, not even in Pieonchang 2018 when they declared that they would not modify their calendar for the event; Not even in Beijing 2022, with the excuse that the Covid-19 pandemic had already forced them to make changes, were there representatives from the best league in the world. In this way, Milan-Cortina d’Ampezzo will have a full roster in ice hockey.

From February 6 to 22, 2026, all attention will be focused on Italy, which will once again host the Winter Olympics after Cortina d’Ampezzo1956 and Turin 2006.