Calgary, Edmonton, Prague to host 2028 World Cup of Hockey

Calgary, Edmonton, and Prague are the host cities for the 2028 World Cup of Hockey, the NHL and NHLPA announced Monday.

The tournament is scheduled to take place in February 2028. Each venue will host six round-robin contests and one elimination game. Edmonton will host the semifinals and final.

The Calgary Flames' new arena, Scotia Place, is scheduled to open in time for the 2027-28 season. Games in Prague will take place at the O2 Arena.

The tournament will include eight teams. The fourth-place team in each group will be eliminated at the end of round-robin play while the top seeds get a bye to the semifinals.

The semifinals and final will use Stanley Cup Playoff overtime rules, meaning five-on-five for 20-minute periods, notes Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman. The three-on-three overtime format at the Olympics in February was a controversial talking point after the gold-medal game was decided in extra time.

There is no word on whether Russia will be permitted to participate. The country has been barred from international play since invading Ukraine.

The World Cup of Hockey hasn't been staged since 2016, but the NHL previously announced its international calendar would include the event every two years between the Olympics. Canada won the event in 2016 and 2004, while the United States won the inaugural tournament in 1996.