The NHL is officially gearing up for a World Cup of Hockey comeback. 🌍⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ Per TSN’s Darren Dreger, the league plans to move forward without the IIHF, directly working with international clubs for an eight-country tournament in the 2027–28 season, the same year as the next Summer Olympics. 🏒⁣ ⁣ Preliminary rounds will split between North America and Europe, before the semis and finals hit North American ice.⁣ 👀⁣ ⁣⁣ While the exact field isn’t confirmed, expect more variety than February’s 4-Nations Face-Off, with Czechia, Slovakia, and potentially Germany, Switzerland, Austria, or Latvia in the mix. Russia remains the biggest question mark given their IIHF ban.⁣ 🥅⁣ ⁣⁣ With stars like Connor Bedard, Macklin Celebrini, and Juraj Slafkovsky entering their primes, the stage is set for a new generation of best-on-best hockey. 🚨#thegist⁣ ⁣ #hockey #nhl #menssports #sportsbiz #worldcupofhockey