NHL Rumors: 2024 World Cup of Hockey Being Discussed by League, NHLPA

The NHL and NHLPA reportedly met last week to start planning for the 2024 World Cup of Hockey, according to TSN's Pierre LeBrun. 

There is a "strong possibility" the event would be played in February 2024 instead of in September when it's normally played, LeBrun notes. 

According to LeBrun, the NHLPA has suggested the February timeframe in the past, but owners were unwilling to disrupt the regular season. However, LeBrun notes "it appears the NHL is potentially onboard and the World Cup could return in two years' time."

The NHL and NHLPA have plans to meet again and schedule a meeting with the IIHF and country stakeholders sometime over the next few months, LeBrun adds. 

The last three World Cups (1996, 2004, 2016) all took place in September. The 2024 event would be the first to take place in the middle of the season. There were originally plans for a World Cup of Hockey in 2021, but the league ended those talks in December 2019 over a lack of planning time. 

The NHL was supposed to send players to the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, but COVID-19's impact on the league's regular-season schedule ruined those plans. NHL players haven't competed for their countries since the 2016 World Cup of Hockey and haven't participated in the Olympics since the 2014 Sochi Games.

Canada has won the last two World Cup of Hockey events in 2004 and 2016. The Canadians swept Team Europe in a best-of-three final.