Prague to host European games of the 2028 World Cup of Hockey
The European preliminary round matches as well as the first knockout games are set to take place at the O2 Arena in Prague
Foto: O2 Arena Prague
Ice hockey fans in Prague can look forward to a special event: the National Hockey League (NHL) has announced the Czech capital as the European host venue for the 2028 World Cup of Hockey.
The National Hockey League (NHL) and the players’ union, the NHL Players’ Association, have announced that Prague will be one of the host cities of the World Cup of Hockey 2028. In addition to the Czech capital, the Canadian cities of Calgary and Edmonton will also host games of the international top-level tournament.
The preliminary round matches as well as the first knockout games are set to take place at the O2 Arena in Prague and at the new Scotia Place in Calgary. The arena of the Calgary Flames is scheduled to open for the 2027/28 season. The semi-finals and the final of the tournament will then be held at Rogers Place in Edmonton.
Video: NHL
A total of eight national teams will take part in the 2028 World Cup of Hockey. The tournament is expected to take place over a period of around 13 days and will include a total of 17 games. The event will be accompanied by an extensive programme of fan events and media days. The exact dates, the participating nations and the full schedule will be announced at a later time.
NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman emphasised during the announcement the special significance of international competitions in which the best players in the world compete for their countries. The host cities of Calgary, Edmonton and Prague have already repeatedly demonstrated their ability to stage major sporting events and can offer fans from around the world an exceptional tournament experience.
The World Cup of Hockey will be held for the fourth time in 2028. Previous tournaments took place in 1996, 2004 and 2016. While the United States won the inaugural edition in 1996, Canada secured the title in both 2004 and 2016.
The 2028 World Cup of Hockey is part of an international schedule in which major tournaments are set to take place every two years. The Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026 will therefore be followed by the World Cup, before the Olympic Winter Games are held again in France in 2030.
