NHL Considers Play-In Tournament Ahead Of 2024 World Cup

Clarence Campbell of the Montreal Canadiens and Bill Daly at the NHL Stanley Cup in 2021.
Clarence Campbell of the Montreal Canadiens and Bill Daly at the NHL Stanley Cup in 2021. Photo by Canadian Press/Shutterstock (12168717ab)

NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly announced at the Player Media Tour on Thursday that the NHL is considering organizing a play-in tournament for the 2024 World Cup of Hockey.

The NHL and the NHLPA are in the middle of organizing what will be the first world cup since 2016. Currently, a February 2024 date is being considered, which would disrupt the 2023-24 NHL season schedule.

Aside from the adjusted tournament format, changes to which teams will be eligible to play are also being considered. The two novelty teams from the 2016 edition, namely Team North America and Team Europe, are not likely to return. While Team North America consisted of a 23-and-under squad, Team Europe was made of players whose national teams would not feature in the tournament. Team Europe made it to the 2016 final, losing to eventual champions Canada.

2024’s world cup is expected to feature 10 national teams. A qualification round will be played, leading to the elimination of two teams to create an eight-team field.

Some of the expected returning teams include Canada, Team USA, Finland, Sweden, and the Czech Republic, while the new format is expected to give a rare qualification opportunity to the likes of Austria, Germany, Norway, Slovakia, and Switzerland.