Eight nations will compete in the 2028 World Cup of Hockey, with the event run by the NHL and NHLPA but without IIHF involvement. The plan features an invitational eight-team field, a European pool in one city, a North American pool in another, and a final in North America, with no 2028 qualifier but a possible qualification round later. Russia’s status looms large: if policy hardens, Sweden, Finland, Czechia and Slovakia may boycott. Markets are being sought in Europe and North America as the bid process progresses.
