When's the last time NHL players were in the Winter Olympics?
- - When's the last time NHL players were in the Winter Olympics?
Austin Curtright, USA TODAY NETWORKFebruary 11, 2026 at 6:05 AM
0
Men's hockey at the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics is more anticipated than it has been in years due to a recent change made by the NHL.
For the first time since 2014, the NHL allowed players from the top hockey league in the world to compete at the Olympics. The NHL is currently on break, with regular season games halted from Feb. 6 to Feb. 24.
REQUIRED READING: How the Olympics men's hockey tournament works: Path to gold medal
That means NHL stars like Team USA captain Auston Matthews (Toronto Maple Leafs) and brothers Matthew Tkachuk (Florida Panthers) and Brady Tkachuk (Ottawa Senators), will be in action. Canada, the gold medal favorite, is also stacked with some of the top talent in the world, such as Connor McDavid (Edmonton Oilers), Nathan MacKinnon (Colorado Avalanche) and the Pittsburgh Penguins' Sidney Crosby, one of the greats of the past century.
Team USA's "Miracle on Ice" gold medal win in 1980 was with amateurs, as the NHL had yet to clear its players for the Olympics. That was also the last year Team USA won a gold medal in men's hockey at the Games.
Here's what to know about men's hockey at the 2026 Winter Olympics, including why NHL players were briefly unable to play in the Olympics for a few cycles:
When's the last time NHL players were in the Winter Olympics?
NHL players last competed at the Winter Olympics in 2014, when the Games were held in Sochi, Russia. NHL players are returning in 2026 for the first time since, as they missed the 2018 and 2022 Olympics.
The NHL didn't allow participation in 2018 due to a multitude of disagreements by the NHL, the International Olympic Committee and the NHL Players Association, which wanted the chance for players to represent their countries. NHL owners also opposed briefly shutting down the season and didn't view South Korea, where the 2018 Games were held, as a site for growth for the league.
The NHL Players Association later got a clause into the newly negotiated Collective Bargaining Agreement in 2020 to allow players to participate in the 2022 and 2026 Olympics. However, the NHL and NHLPA agreed to withdraw from the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics due to the 2021-22 NHL season being impacted by COVID-19, with over 50 games rescheduled.
When did NHL players start playing in the Winter Olympics?
NHL players have only competed in a handful of Olympics, starting with the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan. NHL players also participated in 2002, 2006, 2010 and 2014.
The NHL, International Ice Hockey Federation, International Olympic Committee and the NHL Players' Association reached an agreement on allowing Olympic competition in 1995.
How many NHL players are in the Winter Olympics?
All 32 NHL teams have at least one representative at the 2026 Winter Olympics, with 148 players in total competing.
Is the NHL on break?
The NHL is on break from Feb. 6 to Feb. 24 due to the Winter Olympics.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: When's the last time NHL players were in Winter Olympics?
Source: “AOL Sports”
