2028 World Cup of Hockey Host Cities Announced

International hockey officially has it's next major stage. The World Cup of Hockey is set to return in February 2028, with games set to take place across three host cities — Edmonton, Calgary and Prague. This tournament brings best-on-best international hockey back to the spotlight after more than a decade.

The 2028 tournament marks the first World Cup since 2016, when Team Canada defeated Team Europe in Toronto. The event is organized by the NHL and the NHLPA and is designed to feature the world's top players, competing for their national team under NHL rules.

Calgary, Edmonton, and Prague will be the hosts for the 2028 World Cup of Hockey! #WCOH pic.twitter.com/gh7nR1Eopp
— NHL (@NHL) March 16, 2026

The upcoming tournament is expected to feature eight national teams and take place over roughly 12 days, with a total of 17 games scheduled. Prague and Calgary will host the round robin rounds of the tournament with the semifinals and final game taking place in Edmonton.

The selection of Edmonton and Calgary highlights Alberta's prominence in the international hockey landscape. Both cities are home to passionate markets with the Calgary Flames and Edmonton Oilers and the always fun to watch Battle of Alberta. Prague adds a major European stage to the tournament, reinforcing the league's goal of presenting the World Cup as an international showcase. It also shows the leagues dedication to bringing NHL hockey to Europe following the announcement of NHL Prime Time in Europe announced earlier this year.

For fans, the World Cup represents the return of true best-on-best competition, allowing NHL stars to represent their countries outside of the Olympic cycle. The 2028 event also fits into a larger international schedule agreed upon by the league and players association, with the World Cup and Winter Olympics alternating every two years as part of a renewed commitment to global competition.

While the final lineup of participating countries has not been formally announced yet, traditional teams like Canada, USA, Sweden and Finland are expected to steal the show. This will be a key difference in comparison to the 2016 tournament that saw a hybrid team system such as 'Team Europe' and 'Team North America'.

For the NHL and international fans alike, the return of the World Cup is very exciting. It further proves the NHLs desire to grow the game and focus on global games aside from the 'Takeover Tour.' In 2028, the hockey world will come together in Alberta and Prague to cheer on their favorite players on their international teams.

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