NEW YORK / TORONTO — The National Hockey League Players’ Association (NHLPA) and the National Hockey League (NHL) today launched the formal RFP (request for proposal) phase of the host city selection process for the World Cup of Hockey 2028, as 25 cities from across North America and Europe vie to host the premier international best-on-best hockey tournament.
This stage follows a successful Expression of Interest (EOI) phase that was launched in June of this year and received an overwhelming response.
The RFP phase continues with the NHL and the NHLPA holding a workshop in Toronto for the North American cities on September 17-18, and one in Zurich, Switzerland on September 22-23 for the non-North American based cities.
These workshops are organized to brief the cities on the vision and requirements for the event, as well as to provide candidate host cities with the opportunity to seek any clarifications as they prepare their submissions.
The NHL and the NHLPA will then undertake a detailed review of all the submissions, with final host city selections expected to be announced in Q1 of 2026.
Scheduled for February 2028, World Cup of Hockey 2028, an eight-nation tournament, is expected to feature round-robin and elimination games in two host cities, with the semifinals and championship game currently anticipated to take place in one of those cities, subject to final host city selection. The tournament is expected to be 12 days in duration and include 17 games, along with extensive ancillary programming such as unique fan events.
This edition of the tournament marks the fourth World Cup of Hockey in history, following successful events in 1996, 2004, and 2016. It also builds on the momentum of 4 Nations Face-Off held earlier this year. Named Sports Business Journal’s Event of the Year, the widely-praised 4 Nations Face-Off saw Canada defeat USA in a sold-out tournament that broke through the sports landscape. 4 Nations Face-Off delivered a significant economic impact across its two host cities bringing fans from around the world to support their countries while producing record-breaking television viewership numbers and social media views. World Cup of Hockey 2028 provides an incredible opportunity for the host cities to deliver cultural and economic impact while serving as hosts of a globally broadcast celebration of hockey at its highest level.
The RFP process is being administered by Playfly Sports, a leading sports marketing and media company with deep experience in major international events.
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