The National Hockey League on Thursday invited cities across North America, Europe and other international markets to submit expressions of interest to host games for the 2028 World Cup of Hockey. Set for February 2028, the eight-nation World Cup of Hockey is scheduled to feature round robin and quarter-final games in two host cities, with the semi-finals and championship game to take place in one of those cities. "The World Cup of Hockey is a showcase of international hockey at the highest level, and we are thrilled to begin the host city selection process for 2028," NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said in a press release. "This tournament offers cities a chance to be part of something truly global, while delivering meaningful economic and cultural benefits in return." The deadline for submissions is July 18 for North American cities and July 30 for international cities. The host cities will be chosen during the first quarter of 2026. The NHL, which is sending its players back to the Olympics next year for the first time since 2014, said the fourth edition of the World Cup of Hockey and first since 2016 is expected to last 12 days and include 17 games. The league also said the return of the World Cup of Hockey is building on the momentum of the 4 Nations Face-Off held in February 2025 in Montreal and Boston and featured NHL players from Canada, Finland, Sweden and the United States. Whether players from Russia will participate in the World Cup of Hockey, which is run separately from the International Ice Hockey Federation, is to be determined. The IIHF suspended Russia from international competition through at least the end of the 2025-26 season because of the country's 2022 invasion of Ukraine.