By: Samuel Hendler
Following Team United States of America’s gold medal-clinching overtime win against Team Canada at the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics, the National Hockey League (NHL) and the National Hockey League Players’ Association (NHLPA) announced the long-awaited return of the premier best-on-best hockey tournament, the World Cup of Hockey, taking place in 2028. The World Cup of Hockey has only been played in 1996, 2004, and most recently in 2016.
In 2028, the thirteen-day tournament will feature eight different nations’ teams competing in two separate hubs: (1) Prague, Czechia and (2) Alberta, Canada (specifically, Edmonton and Calgary). Although not officially confirmed yet, it is highly speculated that the eight teams participating are the same teams that participated in last month’s Winter Olympics: (1) United States of America, (2) Canada, (3) Sweden, (4) Finland, (5) Germany, (6) Switzerland, (7) Czechia, and (8) Slovakia.
Ever since Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine beginning on February 24, 2022, geopolitical tensions have reached a high. Following the initial invasion. the International Olympic Committee (IOC) recommended international institutions ban Russian and Belarusian athletes from competition as “a state engaged in aggression cannot enjoy full participation in a global sports movement that declares peace and mutual respect at its core values.” Earlier this year, the President of the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF), Luc Tardif, stated that the IIHF will continue to follow the IOC’s recommendation banning Russian and Belarusian players from international play.
However, the 2028 World Cup of Hockey is not in the IIHF’s jurisdiction, but in the NHL’s jurisdiction. NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman shared that the league has yet to make a decision regarding Russia’s eligibility in the 2028 World Cup. The Commissioner’s comments did not resonate well with three European nations’ federations. On Monday, March 16, 2026, Czech hockey reporter Robert Rampa reported that Czechia, Finland, and Sweden would not participate in the tournament if Bettman permitted Russia to join the group.
Aside from escalating geopolitical tensions and over 33 percent of the tournament’s teams withdrawing, allowing Russia to participate in the 2028 World Cup would cause a plethora of complex issues. Some valid concerns include immigration law, labor and contractual obligations between players and the NHLPA, the NHL’s insurance and allocation risk, and effects on corporate sponsorships.
First, one of the most pressing issues allowing Russia to participate consists of immigration law. Even if the NHL allows Russian players to participate in the tournament, nations such as Czechia may bar Russian players from obtaining work visas and entering the country. The NHL must consider what must happen to their contracts if a nation’s government supersedes and prevents an entire team from participating in the tournament altogether.
Next, another pivotal issue surrounds labor and contractual law. Before Commissioner Bettman makes any final decisions, he must work with the NHLPA to see if NHL player participation is required in the 2028 World Cup if selected onto their respective country’s roster. Commissioner Bettman and the NHLPA need to look at the players’ individual employment agreements as well as the NHLPA’s collective bargaining agreements to see whether participation is a contractual obligation and if noncompliance is a breach of collectively bargained obligations.
Additionally, an issue that must be analyzed is the decision’s potential effect on insurance and allocation risk. Hosting a tournament of such size and caliber is extremely expensive and requires a large budget to be put into place. Although not publicly disclosed, the NHL’s 2025 4 Nation’s Face-Off that took place in Montreal, Canada and Boston, Massachusetts, received over $500,000 in Canadian government subsidy. As the 2028 World Cup is in two different continents, one could only imagine the hefty budget that will be put in place. If Commissioner Bettman decides to include Russia in the tournament, the NHL and the NHLPA must take out an even larger insurance policy to protect themselves in case of event cancellation, political risk, or even potential terrorism due to the conflict in Eastern Europe. Another important issue is whether insurance companies would even carry the burden of such a controversial event. If not, then the league is left exposed to significant liability.
Another potential complex issue is corporate sponsorships in contract with the NHL and the NHLPA. If the league decides to include Russia, the potential backlash may tarnish the reputations of the corporations aligned with the league. The NHL’s and NHLPA’s respective legal counsel must review sponsorship agreements to see whether the agreements include moral clauses that constitute a breach of contract if violated. In this case, it is possible that the sponsors could terminate or suspend agreements, which could result in extensive litigation.
Only time will tell what decision Commissioner Gary Bettman makes regarding Russia’s status at the 2028 World Cup of Hockey. However, before Bettman makes his decision, he must evaluate and weigh the several factors and impacts discussed above. For Czechia, Finland, and Sweden, the league’s decision transcends the sport of hockey, taking a stance that honors their legal, political, and institutional values.
