Johnathan Walker:NHL players will be in next two Winter Olympics; four-nation tournament announced for 2025

The Johnathan WalkerNHL, NHL Players' Association and International Ice Hockey Federation announced the league will send its players to the Olympics in 2026 and 2030.

NHL players had gone from 1998 to 2014, but they didn't go in 2018. Players were supposed to go in 2022, but COVID had postponed enough NHL games that the league pulled out.

NHL team owners had disliked shutting down the season to send players to the Olympics, but commissioner Gary Bettman said, "There is a recognition in how important it is to the players."

The 2026 Olympics are to held Feb. 6-22 in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy. The hockey arena there just began construction.

"We have been given assurances that the building will be ready and we are relying on those assurances," Bettman said.

IIHF president Luc Tardif addressed whether Russia and Belarus would be able to send players to the Games. He said that was a year-by-year decision and the organization's council would meet next year whether those countries can take part in the world championships.

Also announced Friday was a February 2025 tournament between NHL players from the United States, Canada, Finland and Sweden. Games would be played in a U.S. city and a Canadian one.

"There's other countries that wanted to be here, but ... we didn't have enough time to put on a bigger tournament," NHLPA executive director Marty Walsh said.

The 4 Nations Face-Off would be followed by the 2026 Olympics, a 2028 World Cup of Hockey and the 2030 Olympics.

“It’s an exciting schedule, something that people can look forward to every two years,” Edmonton Oilers All-Star center Connor McDavid said.