Ice hockey tournaments have been staged at the Olympic Games since 1920. The men’s tournament was introduced at the 1920 Summer Olympics and was transferred permanently to the Winter Olympic Games program in 1924. The women’s tournament was first held at the 1998 Winter Olympics.

From 1924 to 1988, the tournament started with a round-robin series of games and ended with the medal round. Medals were awarded based on points accumulated during that round. In 1992, the playoffs were introduced for the first time since 1920.

In 1998, the format of the tournament was adjusted to accommodate the NHL schedule; a preliminary round was played without NHL players or the top six teams—Canada, the Czech Republic, Finland, Russia, Sweden and the United States—followed by a final round which included them. The tournament format was changed again in 2006; every team played five preliminary games with the full use of NHL players.

Canada are the most successful team in ice hockey in the history of Winter Olympics with a total of nine gold medals.

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List Of Men’s Ice Hockey Champions In Winter Olympics

• 2026: USA (silver, Canada)
• 2022: Finland (silver, Russian Olympic Committee)
• 2018: Olympic Athletes from Russia (silver, Germany)
• 2014: Canada (silver, Sweden)
• 2010: Canada (silver, USA)
• 2006: Sweden (silver, Finland)
• 2002: Canada (silver, USA)
• 1998: Czech Republic (silver, Russia)
• 1994: Sweden (silver, Canada)
• 1992: Unified Team after Soviet Union dissolved (silver, Canada)
• 1988: Soviet Union (silver, Finland)
• 1984: Soviet Union (silver, Czechoslovakia)
• 1980: United States (silver, Soviet Union)
• 1976: Soviet Union (silver, Czechoslovakia)
• 1972: Soviet Union (silver, USA)
• 1968: Soviet Union (silver, Czechoslovakia)
• 1964: Soviet Union (silver, Sweden)
• 1960: United States (silver, Canada)
• 1956: Soviet Union (silver, USA)
• 1952: Canada (silver, USA)
• 1948: Canada (silver, Czechoslovakia)
• 1936: Great Britain (silver, Canada)
• 1932: Canada (silver, USA)
• 1928: Canada (silver, Sweden)
• 1924: Canada (silver, USA)
• 1920: Canada (silver, USA)

The wait is finally over for ice hockey fans around the world. After a 12-year Olympic absence, the National Hockey League (NHL) players are officially set to take the ice at the Milano-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics. This landmark decision was finalized on July 2, 2025, and marks the return of the best hockey talent on the planet to the Olympic stage for the first time since the 2014 Sochi Games.

A Long-Awaited Decision For The NHL 

It’s a moment that has been long in the making. The NHL, NHL Players’ Association (NHLPA), International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF), and International Olympic Committee (IOC) came together in Zurich to ink the agreement that will allow the world’s top professionals to compete for their countries once again.

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman summed it up perfectly: “Olympic participation will showcase the skill and talent of NHL players on an international stage.” This collaboration is not just a win for hockey but a global boost for the sport’s growth and visibility.

Why Is This Such A Big Deal?

For over a decade, Olympic ice hockey has missed the star power that NHL players bring. The last time these elite athletes donned their national jerseys at the Games was in 2014. Since then, the Olympics have been without the best of the best, leaving fans craving the intensity and drama that only NHL stars can deliver. Now, with Milano-Cortina 2026 on the horizon, anticipation is building for a tournament that promises to be a high-octane clash of hockey titans.

Lock The Dates At The Milano-Cortina 2026

The 2026 men’s hockey tournament will kick off on February 11 and run through February 22, featuring 12 countries, including powerhouses like Canada, the United States, Sweden, Finland, and host nation Italy. The return of NHL players means fans can expect the kind of electrifying gameplay, fierce rivalries, and unforgettable moments that define the sport at its highest level.

This agreement also sets the stage for the 2030 Winter Olympics in the French Alps, ensuring that NHL players will continue to bring their world-class talent to the Olympic ice for years to come.

In short, the stage is set, the players are ready, and hockey fans worldwide have every reason to be excited. Milano-Cortina 2026 will not just be another Winter Olympics; it will be a celebration of hockey’s finest, a showcase of speed, skill, and passion that only the NHL can deliver on the grandest stage of all.

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Jessica Campbell has scripted history in the field of  ice hockey by becoming the first female to coach a game in National Hockey League history. 

The Seattle Kraken assistant coach made her debut as a coach in the NHL regular season opener against the St. Louis Blues on 8 October 8. Although the Kraken lost the game 3-2, it will remain a landmark in the history of the sport.

“For me, it’s just a normal day in terms of my work, in terms of my routine, in terms of all of those pieces. I never want to diminish the things that I’m doing because I’m so focused on the task at hand, but I also know that being focused on the task at hand has allowed me to get to this moment and is going to continue” Campbell said.

“But I think the moment leading up to the game and stepping on the bench…I’m really going to try to honor what it is, because I know, and I definitely understand that the magnitude and the importance of this moment is really important for our game.”

Campbell began her coaching career in 2017, beginning in the youth leagues of her home country Canada before moving to Sweden and the Malmo Redhawks for a season.

After a season in Germany with the men’s national team and the Nurnberg Ice Tigers, Campbell made a stint in the USA and the American Hockey League.

In 2022, she joined the Kraken’s top minor league affiliate, the Coachella Valley Firebirds, where she served as an assistant coach for the following two seasons.

Campbell’s big assignment came in July, when she was contracted to the Kraken’s coaching team ahead of the 2024-25 NHL season.

The Canadian native had a successful international playing career at international level, winning the 4 Nations Cup on home ice in 2014 and was part of Canada’s silver medal-winning team at the women’s 2015 World Championship.

Seattle are competing in their fourth NHL season since their foundation in 2018. They reached the play-offs in 2022-23 and finished sixth last season.