Report: Toronto will not bid to host 2028 World Cup of Hockey

Although it was a resounding success a decade ago, Toronto will not bid to host the 2028 World Cup of Hockey, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported during Saturday’s broadcast.

Here’s what Friedman said Saturday:

The NHL and the Players’ Association are going through the bidding process for the 2028 World Cup of Hockey. Toronto has decided not to bid. Whenever these tournaments happen, if Toronto wants to be there, they’re usually a very serious contender. But they’re not doing it this time around. I think with the Raptors playing at that time, too, other business that affected it. Toronto won’t be a host city in the World Cup in 2028.

Toronto hosted the 2016 World Cup of Hockey, the first time the tournament was held in 12 years. Canada defeated Team Europe in a best-of-three series, and the tournament was arguably best remembered for Team North America, which boasted Auston Matthews, Connor McDavid, Morgan Rielly and Nathan MacKinnon among other under-23 stars. It also served as the last best-on-best men’s international hockey tournament, until the 4 Nations Face-Off was held last winter, where Canada emerged victorious over the United States.

“We are moving forward with the World Cup two years after the Olympics in 2028,” NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said in February. “We will be asking for bids on hosting games. We will have a package that’s just about done that will be done in the next few weeks and we couldn’t be more excited about making a reality Olympics-World Cups-Olympics-World Cups on a regular schedule of the best hockey players in the world representing their countries and we know the full-blown World Cup, of which this (the 4 Nations Face-Off) is simply a sampler, is going to be sensational.”

This is a tough development for hockey fans across Toronto and Southern Ontario, but it may not be a permanent feature. Toronto also hosted the 2004 World Cup of Hockey, and could be back in the mix for future tournaments, with the expectation for it to be held every two years.