The Ice Hockey World Cup is back. Prague will host the NHL elite in 2028

After more than a decade, one of the most prestigious international hockey tournaments is returning. The World Cup of Ice Hockey will be held in February 2028 in three host cities — Calgary, Edmonton and Prague.

For the first time in the history of the World Cup of Ice Hockey, an entire group will be played in Europe. The venue will be Prague’s O₂ arena, which will be the tournament’s only European host. The O₂ arena and Scotia Place in Calgary will each host seven games, including six group games and one knockout game. The two semi-finals and the tournament final will be played at Rogers Place in Edmonton.

The tournament follows on from previous editions in 1996, 2004 and 2016 and will once again feature a “best-on-best” format that will bring the best NHL players to the ice representing their national teams.

“There is no other international competition in sports that combines the passion, skill and excitement of the best against the best in national jerseys, as demonstrated by last year’s 4 Nations Face-Off and the recent Winter Olympics,” said NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman. “We at the National Hockey League and our partners at the National Hockey League Players’ Association can’t wait for the 2028 World Cup to be held in beautiful stadiums in three cities that have always excelled in hosting major events. We know that Calgary, Edmonton and Prague will be fantastic hosts for hockey fans around the world, and that the best players on the planet will play unforgettable games at the highest level.”

“The return of the World Cup is an extraordinary event for all of international hockey. We greatly appreciate the trust placed in us by the NHL and NHLPA, who have decided to bring the tournament to the Czech Republic for the first time,” said Tomáš Petera, owner of Perinvest Group, which will organize the tournament in the Czech Republic. “I see this as an opportunity to confirm our position as one of the key European centers for hosting top-level sporting events. We expect strong international interest, high attendance and significant economic benefits for the Czech Republic,” added Petera.

The tournament will feature 17 games, complemented by an extensive supporting program including special fan events and media days.

“After the great international hockey we saw at the recent Winter Olympics, NHL players are very excited to return to international hockey at the 2028 World Cup,” said NHLPA Executive Director Marty Walsh. “Calgary, Edmonton and Prague are cities with an exceptionally strong hockey tradition and the games will be played in three world-class arenas. The players can’t wait to put on their national team jerseys again in Alberta and Prague in February 2028.”

The process of selecting the host cities began in June 2025, when the NHL and the NHLPA invited cities and arenas to express interest. A formal RFP (request for proposal) process was then launched, in which 28 cities from North America and Europe participated. Playfly Sports, a leading sports marketing and media company with experience in large international events, collaborated on its implementation.

A key partner of Perinvest in preparing the Czech candidacy was Bestsport, the owner and operator of the O₂ arena, which is one of the most modern multi-purpose halls in Europe. Prague is also the city with the second highest number of NHL regular season games played outside North America, with all nine games taking place at the O₂ arena.

“I am extremely pleased that Prague and our O₂ arena succeeded in hosting this extraordinary event amidst great competition and interest from other European cities. We will do everything to ensure that this event is a success, just like all previous international sporting events that we have hosted in our more than 22-year history,” says Robert Schaffer, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Bestsport, a.s., the operator of the O₂ arena.

The Ice Hockey World Cup is organized by the NHL and the NHLPA. The tournament is part of the regular calendar of international hockey competitions with the participation of NHL players, which began with the great success of the 4 Nations Face-Off tournament, continued with participation in the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics and is expected to be followed by participation in the 2030 Winter Olympics in the French Alps. Further details about the tournament will be announced in the coming months.

About Perinvest a.s.

Perinvest has been involved in the production and supervision of international sports and cultural events for more than 20 years. The company has participated in the organization of events such as the Euroleague Basketball Final Four, the Golden Spike, the Davis Cup, the Fed Cup, the WTA 500 tournaments and the NHL Global Series Czechia. In addition to event production, it also produces sports television broadcasts independently. Its project is the free-to-air television channel SPORTY TV.

Media contact

Michal Průša
prusa@perinvest.group
714 +420 732 266