It’s been a long time coming. NHL stars have waited for the opportunity to participate in the Winter Olympics. However, that didn’t happen for the last two editions. “The National Hockey League respects and admires the desire of NHL players to represent their countries and participate in a ‘best on best’ tournament,” Gary Bettman said in 2022. And that’s all the NHL could do as the disruption to its regular-season schedule caused by COVID had made Olympic participation unfeasible. But things will be different this time.

The National Hockey League announced its intention to participate in the 2026 Winter Olympics during the NHL All-Star week in 2024. “I feel like it’s important for hockey as we continue to try to grow the game internationally and at home,” Connor McDavid explained after saying it was a dream come true. Now the League caught the drift of McDavid’s statement about growth.

Back in March of this year, the Italian Serie A legends Andrea Pirlo and Marco Materazzi swapped jerseys with Rangers center Mika Zibanejad at Madison Square Garden. Yet, that was only a hint of their collaboration. The Lega Serie A, NHL, and NHLPA have announced a first-of-its-kind collaboration that will see hockey stars join forces for promotional duties ahead of the 2026 Winter Olympics.

The 2025 NHL/NHLPA European Player Media Tour, which kicks off on August 22, will happen in Milan, Italy, the host nation of the Winter Olympics. As per NHL.com, Lega Serie A players and legends, along with the NHL’s biggest European names, will participate in marquee events ahead of the Serie A opening day on August 23. The goal? “To engage with a global audience in new and exciting ways,” Andy Mitchell, CEO and MD of Lega Serie A USA, told NHL.com.

“By bringing Lega Serie A legends and NHL stars together, we aim to create a synergy that showcases the best of each league,” he added. Keith Wachtel, President of NHL Business, also added his two cents. The President explained the collaboration will create “unique content that celebrates the intersection of hockey and soccer.” Yet, this collab isn’t the only thing special about the 2026 Winter Olympics.

Why the NHL’s Winter Olympics return is special

The last time hockey fans saw their favorite NHL player at the Winter Olympics was at the 2014 Sochi Games. Although clashing schedules and the COVID-19 pandemic have kept players away from the Olympics, they’ve never stopped expressing their interest. “Obviously, I’ve been vocal about this,” McDavid said last year when the league announced its 2026 plans.

The Edmonton Oilers captain also expressed that players representing the league in international competitions are crucial to growth. In fact, this hunger to watch rival NHL stars represent their nations as a team was one of the reasons behind the runaway success of the 4 Nations Face-Off. What’s more? Connor McDavid was far from the only one voicing his interest.

“We can’t stop the time. You’re getting older every year, and the Olympics are once every fourth year. Every Olympics you miss, it’s a long time,” added David Pastrnak, who was 27 back then. So the league finally returning to the best-on-best international clash shows that they’ve listened to the players. Gary Bettman straight up said it was for the players.

“There is a recognition of how important this is to the players, and in the spirit of cooperation… This really came down to doing something because the players really wanted it,” the NHL commissioner said back in 2024. So now, we’ll have to wait and watch just how the NHL and soccer worlds collide in Milan.