The last time National Hockey League players participated in the Winter Olympics, Canada captured gold and the United States finished just off the podium in fourth.
That was at the 2014 Sochi Games in Russia, more than a decade and three Olympics separated from the 2026 Winter Games in Milan-Cortina.
The Italy games held this month will mark the end of a 12-year absence for NHL players on Olympic ice, although they were also barred from competing at the international tournament for a few editions before they first did so.
Until 1986, the International Olympic Committee prohibited professional athletes, thus excluding NHL players. Rules relaxed the next decade, but the NHL maintained its own restrictions due to scheduling, insurance and profitability concerns.
The NHL and the IOC reached an agreement in 1995, determining that professional players were allowed to compete in Olympic hockey, starting with the 1998 Winter Games. Team USA went on to play and finished fifth, outside of the podium.
From 1998 through 2014, the NHL paused its season every four years to allow players to compete for their countries. The era began in Nagano, Japan, where more than 100 NHL players represented various nations in the league’s Olympic debut.
Over five consecutive Winter Games, NHL stars like Canada's Sidney Crosby, USA's Chris Chelios and Russia's Alex Ovechkin headlined best-on-best matchups on international ice.
Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports
The NHL players' participation in the Olympics, however, came to a halt ahead of PyeongChang 2018. An agreement was reached in 2021 to send NHL players to Beijing 2022, but with over 50 games postponed due to COVID-19 outbreaks, the league reversed course in December 2021.
NHL players were finally cleared to participate in the Winter Games for both the 2026 and 2030 Olympics. The new deal was finalized in July 2025, following negotiations between the NHL, NHLPA, IIHF and IOC.
All 32 NHL teams are expected to have at least one representative in Milan, with the USA, Canada and Sweden carrying 25-man rosters filled entirely with NHL players.