The NHL is set to push ahead with moves to hold a 2024 World Cup of Hockey tournament in a move to make a return to the competition, which hasn’t run since 2016. The move follows an agreement between the NHL and the NHL Players’ Association, and the championship would run in February over the course of a 17-day window.
The news of the tournament’s return may well lead hockey fans to place bets via the best NHL sportsbooks in New York, with interest in the competition sure to be building following the announcement.
Nations have competed in the World Cup of Hockey on three occasions, with the United States winning the inaugural competition in 1996 and Canada triumphing in both 2004 and 2016 when both tournaments took place in Toronto.
The tournament in 2024 will be played across venues in North America and Europe, and NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly has commented on the ongoing plans;
“We’re moving full steam ahead, and that means we’re continuing to have regular meetings,”
“We’re out in the market already moving ahead with plans for a February 2024 World Cup,”
“We’re still on schedule.”
“We still want to play one pool in Europe, a preliminary round pool in Europe, and a preliminary round pool in North America and move the semifinals and the final to a different city in North America likely,” he said. “I think that short list would universally encompass more traditional hockey markets,” Daly added.
The tournament would be played across 15 days with a day taken into account at either end of the schedule, hence the 17-day window.
Having a portion of the tournament played in Europe is clearly part of the NHL’s ongoing move to get more exposure for the game in the region. This is something that is already part and parcel of the NHL season as a whole.
The Nashville Predators are set to play a preseason game in Switzerland, and the San Jose Sharks will do likewise in Berlin. The regular season will see both teams play games in Prague while the Columbus Blue Jackets and Colorado Avalanche will do battle in Tampere, Finland.
This is the first time the league has played games in Europe since 2019, and the World Cup of Hockey will play in the same spirit of pushing the NHL worldwide.
Daly touched upon the need to build the NHL brand overseas;
“It’s very important as we continue to build out our presence in Europe and our international business,”
“Having the Global Series back on European soil is very important to our business.”
The NHL is very much following the lead of the likes of the NBA and the NFL when it comes to pushing their respective leagues outside North America, and it’s a solid move when it comes to boosting their brand exposure.
The Ice Hockey tournament at the 2022 Beijing Olympics saw NHL players ruled out due to COVID-19 issues, and therefore a 2024 World Cup of Hockey would be a chance for the best of the best to compete in a competition that is sure to drive interest. in the game as a whole.