MONTREAL, Feb 13, 2025 (BSS/AFP) - The World Cup of Hockey, last played in 2016, will return in February 2028 with hopes of commanding a regular place on the global schedule alongside the Winter Olympics.

The NHL and NHL Players Association made the announcement at Montreal ahead of the Four Nations Face-Off, a 2026 Winter Olympic tuneup event at Montreal being staged in place of an NHL All-Star Game.

"International best-on-best competition is very important to our players. Representing their countries on the ice is in their DNA and hockey fans love it," NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said.

"Resuming Olympic participation next season and staging a World Cup of Hockey in February 2028 will provide expanded opportunity for more players to represent more nations in best-on-best competition.

"With this tournament and the World Cup's return to regular rotation, the NHL and NHLPA take a major step in our joint commitment to international hockey."

Teams and game dates were not announced.

A bidding process for host cities and venues is expected to start in the next few months for the fourth edition of the World Cup, which began in 1996 as a prelude to the debut of NHL talent at the Winter Olympics in 1998 at Nagano, Japan.

The United States defeated Canada in the 1996 finals but the Canadians have won the most recent two editions of the World Cup, both staged on home ice in Toronto, in 2004 and 2016.

"It's great, something that we've missed for a long period of time." Swedish defenseman Erik Karlsson of the NHL's Pittsburgh Penguins said.

"If we can get to a schedule where every second year there's a big tournament played, I think that's ideal for everyone."

The NHL did not send players to the 2018 or 2022 Winter Olympics but will shut down the league and send talent to Italy for the Olympics next February.

The 2028 World Cup will use NHL-sized rinks, NHL rules and NHL officials rather than international regulations.