Edmonton, Calgary and Prague will host the pro hockey’s best-on-best international tournament two years from now. The National Hockey League announced Monday morning that the two Alberta cities and the Czechia capital will host its World Cup of Hockey in February 2028. Both the cities of Edmonton and Calgary and their National Hockey League teams had confirmed early this month that they submitted a joint bid to the league. Edmonton will host three games, the two semifinals and the final, while Calgary and Prague will hold seven round-robin games each. NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said Monday in Florida, where the league is holding winter general managers’ meetings, that 28 cities – 18 in North America and 10 in Europe – had bid to host the event, which will see eight national teams comprised of hockey’s top players face off. The NHL had earlier indicated that the World Cup would be staged in both North America and Europe. Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said the province will contribute up to $15 million for the tournament, including destination marketing efforts. “Alberta is the right choice to host the World Cup of Hockey,” Smith said Monday. “This bid was earned; few places in the world live and breathe hockey the way Alberta does.” Eleanor Olszewski, the federal minister responsible for Prairies Economic Development Canada and MP for Edmonton Centre, announced Ottawa is contributing up to $8 million to support community-based programming related to the event. The cities of Edmonton and Calgary, through their tourism arms, have each committed up to $2.5 million to help stage the event. Representatives from each level of government, the tourism arms and the teams announced the funding contributions for the tournament early Monday afternoon at Rogers Place. The province said it expects the World Cup to generate $375 million in economic activity across Alberta and fill 172,000 hotel rooms nights. It said the tournament will be the largest international sporting event held in the province since the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary. Edmonton’s arena, the surrounding Ice District and downtown area have played host to several major events since it opened in 2016. Calgary’s under-construction new home, Scotia Place, will co-host the tournament in its first season of operation. The $800-million complex is slated to open in the fall of 2027. The NHL has staged World Cups of Hockey three times before, in 1996, 2004 and 2016. It was the successor to the Canada Cup, which had been contested five times between 1976 and 1991. Edmonton’s Northlands Coliseum hosted games in the 1981 and 1984 tournaments, including the final in the latter year, while Calgary’s then-year-old Saddledome held games in ‘84 as well. More to come.
