Hockey fans have been begging for the return of an international best-on-best tournament for nearly a decade. The wait is over as the four-nation competition will be held for the first time in 2025 and NHL players will travel to Italy for the 2026 Olympics.
More international hockey news was announced last week during the NHL’s North American Player Media Tour in Las Vegas. NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly said eight teams will participate in the 2028 World Cup of Hockey.
Six teams will receive automatic invitations to the tournament, and Daly added the possibility of a qualifying tournament with four teams competing for the final two spots.
Canada, the United States, Sweden and Finland will almost certainly participate. Russia has safe talent on the ice, but it remains unclear whether Russia will be able to compete as long as the invasion of Ukraine continues.
“In large part, we would see where the international community is with respect to Russian participation in competition,” Daly said. “That won’t be a determining factor for us, but it would probably be somewhat persuasive at least depending on what the situation is.”
The other four national teams to consider for the final spot are:
Czechia
Czechia Republic has always been a competitive country in international tournaments. Winning a gold medal at the 2024 IIHF World Championship on home soil signaled the country’s rise to the global elite in ice hockey.
Czechia boasts a well-rounded NHL talent mix on both offense and defense, led by Boston Bruins superstar David Pastrnak, Las Vegas Golden Knights centre Tomas Hertl, Carolina Hurricanes right winger Martin Necas and Vancouver Canucks defenceman Filip Hronek.
Given their recent success, it’s no surprise that the Czechia will be one of the nations that automatically qualify. Their dynamism and world-class talent give the team a good chance to compete for a medal at the 2028 Games.
Germany
Over the past decade, Germany has steadily emerged as an ice hockey powerhouse, and is expected to field a squad filled with current and upcoming stars by the time of the next World Cup.
Edmonton Oilers centre Leon Draisaitl will bring game-winning skills the German men’s national team has never had before. He is joined by a young and talented offensive core consisting of Ottawa Senators centre Tim Stutzle, Buffalo Sabres left winger JJ Peterka and Chicago Blackhawks left winger Lukas Reichel.
Defensively, 2022 Calder Trophy winner Moritz Seider will undoubtedly lead the defense, but the front-runners for the starting position in goal are Philipp Grubauer and Nico Does.
Defensive deficiencies beyond Seider may be too difficult to overcome, but Germany’s young stars could be an exciting team if they can make a push heading into the World Cup.
Slovakia
2022 was a breakout year for Slovakian ice hockey. After winning a bronze medal at the Beijing Olympics, Montreal Canadiens left winger Juraj Slafkovsky and New Jersey Devils defenseman Simon Nemec were selected first and second in the NHL draft later that year.
Filip Mesar was also selected 26th in the same draft, making it the first time that Slovakian players have had three first-round picks. With NHL talent relatively scarce, Slovakia’s young core will have to lead the way if they want to make a splash in 2028.
Slovakia is also lacking an NHL goaltender, but KHL goaltender Patrik Leiber has been a standout performer on the international stage for his country. During the period in which Slovakia won the bronze medal in 2022, he had a catch percentage of .966 in six games.
Switzerland
Switzerland’s top talent will compete against the best in the world, led by perennial Norris Trophy candidate Roman Josi, Nico Hischier (center) of the New Jersey Devils, Kevin Fiala (left wing) of the Los Angeles Kings, and Timo Meier (power forward) of the Devils.
However, with a lack of depth across all positions, it’s hard to imagine them being very competitive against the top nations.
The Swiss national team placed second to the Czech Republic at the 2024 World Cup earlier this year, and they were also runners-up in the 2018 and 2013 tournaments. They have exceeded expectations in the past, but their team may be too top-heavy to compete against stronger teams.