Not being able to share iconic moments like Sidney Crosby’s 2010 golden goal or T.J Oshie’s 2014 shootout heroics has long frustrated fans, and the NHL still faces the same issue at the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics. Olympic rules bar teams from sharing video highlights, which could put a stop to the excitement in one way. But the New York Islanders found a clever loophole to let fans relive the moment.

As Islanders forward Bo Horvat scored on Team Canada in a 5-0 win over Czechia, the team did not share the actual footage. Instead, they produced a humorous, home-created recreation, with the caption: “A completely realistic and copyright free look at Horvat’s goal!” The post soon garnered interest among fans. But the question is, why can’t teams share real clips?

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) and its media partners enforce strict policies on media and social media use. Highlights or clips may only appear on official Olympic channels or licensed broadcasters, such as Peacock in the U.S. or CBC in Canada.

Unlicensed videos, even brief ones, face swift removal. This bars NHL teams, the league and players themselves from posting real game footage on their own channels.

Even top NHL stars at Milan Cortina remain under wraps. Macklin Celebrini, the 19-year-old Sharks forward, opened the scoring for Canada with flair in their 5-0 rout, joined by veterans Mark Stone, Nathan MacKinnon, Nick Suzuki and Connor McDavid. Fans crave replays of those moments, but official restrictions hold them back.

These constraints echo long-standing frustrations, rooted in broadcasters’ monopolies over Olympic video. At Milan Cortina, the rules endure. Yet change stirs slowly.

NHL gains more media freedom as players return to the Olympics after 12 years

The way things are changing for NHL content at the Olympics is slowly giving players and teams more room to share their experiences. Commissioner Gary Bettman recently explained that, compared with past Games, the IOC and International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) are giving the NHL and its players slightly more freedom around media and content.

Players can now generate and share some social media content, and the league can repost this content and use shared logos to promote itself at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Olympics. But during the past Olympics, there was a very minimal capacity of teams to create or promote any content involving the team members.

Bettman also mentioned that the league has already achieved more access to content and intellectual property, but that they still hope that it will be even better at the next Games, like the 2030 Olympics inthe  French Alps.

“I do believe that both the IOC and IIHF have been a tad more flexible in terms of the things that we can do, particularly with respect to intellectual property and how the games are covered, so that we don’t completely disappear for a couple of weeks,” he noted.

New flexibility allows players to post as participating athletes, lets the NHL share select player content, and permits shared logos and branding for promotion.

NHLPA Executive Director Marty Walsh noted that players have always wanted Olympic participation, with fans and athletes alike craving “best on best” competition. After 12 years away, the NHL’s Olympic return delivers exactly that. What are your thoughts on this? Share it in the comments below.