An official announcement could be made today after the first day of the general managers' meetings. The news comes after the league saw the success of the 4 Nations tournament last year, which grossed over a record-breaking 16 million viewers across North America (details here).
*Details on the news will be updated in this article once the NHL releases more information.
Canada took down the USA in the 4 Nations tournament to win the gold medal in its debut, one that trended online for multiple fights within the first minute of the game and the intensity that even non-hockey fans enjoyed, bringing a whole new group of fans to the sport.
News of the league's World Cup also comes before the start of the FIFA World Cup this year and during the ongoing World Baseball Classic, which has been a historic tournament itself in terms of baseball records and viewership. Team USA alone has seen a 183% veiwership increase from their 2023 final run, which ended in a loss to Japan.
Now, the NHL is ready to get in on the action and give the fans what they want as the league moves away from its heavily criticized All-Star games.