Report: NHL to hold a 4 team “World Cup” in 2025

The New Year officially marks 10 years since NHL players have suited up at the Olympic Games. 

It's hard to believe that it's been a decade since Sidney Crosby captained Team Canada to gold at the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics but maybe that's just because we've been clinging to those memories for so long now. The 2018 games in Pyeonchang, South Korean and the 2022 Games in Beijing, China were an absolute joke with no NHL participation. If I were to ask you who won gold in either tournament would you even know offhand? Remember Russia's... sorry I mean the Olympic Athletes From Russia... winning gold over Germany? Or how about Finland winning gold over the oddly titled ROC Russian team? 

Now quickly, tell me who won gold in 2010? Or how about 1998 or 2002?

Those three tournaments represented International hockey at its absolute finest and we've been robbed of it for an entire generation now.

Sure, we had the NHL's contrived World Cup in 2016 but it's not even CLOSE to Olympic hockey.

Since 2016 though, we've had no semblance of best on best International hockey and it appears that it'll be that way for at least a few years. 

Today, ESPN NHL insider Kevin Weekes reported that the NHL is planning an "expansive" World Cup for 2028 with teams from USA, Canada and European countries. Before that though, the NHL is planning a "prelude" World Cup for 2025 consisting of just 4 teams.

Seriously...

Check it out:

A four team World Cup? 

Is this a joke? Is this a World Cup for ants!?!?!?

In all seriousness, who is the event for exactly?

It sure as Hell isn't for hockey fans. No serious hockey fan would consider a four team tournament to be anything other than an exhibition event. It's basically an All-Star Weekend event. The obvious answer though is that this is an event designed for the NHL's corporate sponsors.

Don't be surprised if it's branded as The Rogers Sportsnet NHL Invitational Brought To You By Bridgestone Tires In Association With BetMGM And DraftKings Sports Book With Support From Gillette The Official Razor Of The NHL....