IIHF wants NHL to commit to Olympic men’s hockey decision by 2024

In an address to the media at the World Junior Championship in Halifax on Thursday, IIHF president Luc Tardif has said he wants the NHL to make its decision on participation for the 2026 Winter Olympics by 2024.

The NHL hasn’t participated on the world’s biggest stage since 2014 in Russia. They elected to skip the 2018 tournament in South Korea and then cited COVID-19 concerns as a reason for skipping 2022 in China.

In both cases, the decisions took place within a year of their respective tournaments, with the cancellation of participation in 2022 coming just two months earlier. With this deadline, it would give the IIHF and its member nation more time to come up with backup options.

“It gives us two years to prepare properly [for] this competition,” he said. “I’m optimistic, but everybody has to do an effort to be there… You need to have the same rules as the other athletes. We are not a travel agency. We organize a composition.”

Tardif also said the IIHF isn’t excited about the potential of the next World Cup of Hockey being played in February. The move would make it challenging for European nations to have their best lineups present without stopping European leagues. The men’s World Championship also occurs every May.

“That’s a big problem for us,” Tardif said of the NHL’s proposed timing. “We prefer August, September, October.”

The NHL said late last year that there won’t be a World Cup in 2024, with the banishment of Russia over the war in Ukraine being top of mind.

On the topic of Hockey Canada, Tardif said he met with members of the board of directors over the ongoing scandals involving the organization. Tardif said he came away from the meetings optimistic.

“Those people who were named are perfectly able to redress the situation,” Tardif said. “We don’t have to throw the baby (out) with the bathwater. There is something still good for ice hockey, but we have to correct.”