Short answer
NHL players took part in 1998, 2002, 2006, 2010, 2014 and 2026. They stayed home in 2018 and 2022. In February 2024 the IIHF and NHL announced a break in the NHL season for 2026, and the league agreed to send players to the 2030 Games as well.
Year by year
| Olympics | NHL players? | Men’s champion |
|---|---|---|
| Nagano 1998 | Yes, first time: a 17 day break | Czech Republic |
| Salt Lake City 2002 | Yes | Canada |
| Turin 2006 | Yes, after the 2004 to 2005 lockout | Sweden |
| Vancouver 2010 | Yes | Canada |
| Sochi 2014 | Yes, 17 day break agreed in July 2013 | Canada |
| Pyeongchang 2018 | No | Olympic Athletes from Russia |
| Beijing 2022 | No, pulled out over COVID-19 | Finland |
| Milano Cortina 2026 | Yes, returned after 12 years | United States |
How the NHL got in
The Olympics were for amateurs until the IOC voted in 1986 to open the Games to all athletes from 1988. The NHL still would not stop its season in February. In March 1995 NHL commissioner Gary Bettman, IIHF president René Fasel, IOC president Juan Antonio Samaranch and NHLPA head Bob Goodenow met in Geneva and agreed that NHL players would go to Nagano in 1998.
Why the league left, and came back
- Owners worried about injuries and a mid season break. Bettman argued the benefits were bigger when the Games were in North America than in distant time zones.
- For Sochi 2014 the IOC paid about US$7 million to insure NHL players. In April 2016 it said it would stop covering travel, insurance and accommodation from 2018, and national federations refused to pay.
- The NHL planned to return for Beijing 2022 but withdrew because of the pandemic.
- On February 2, 2024, the IIHF announced an agreement for an NHL break in 2026; the league also committed to 2030.
What it changed on the ice
With NHL players in, the "Big Six" (Canada, the Czech Republic, Finland, Russia, Sweden, the United States) won every men’s gold from 1998 to 2014 and in 2026. Without them, Germany reached the 2018 final and Slovakia won its first medal in 2022. The 2026 final was the third Canada against United States final with NHL players, after 2002 and 2010.
Rule differences NHL players face: Olympic vs NHL rules.
Questions people ask
Why did NHL players skip the 2018 Olympics?
The IOC said in 2016 it would no longer pay for NHL players’ travel, accommodation and insurance, and in 2017 the NHL announced it would not pause its season for Pyeongchang.
Why did NHL players skip 2022?
The league originally planned to go to Beijing but opted out because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Will NHL players be at the 2030 Olympics?
The February 2024 agreement covers the 2026 and 2030 Games, according to the announcement reported by CNN.
Sources
Last reviewed October 29, 2026. Spotted an error? Results are checked against the linked sources; tell us through the corrections note on the about page.