photo: Tim Austen/IIHF
There’s plenty to be excited about as the Olympics kick off today, and IIHF President Luc Tardif is feeling it right along with the fans - maybe even more so. These Games mark his second Olympics as IIHF president, but his first with NHL players back in the men’s tournament, making the moment especially sweet.
“It’s our job to bring the best players to the biggest stage,” Tardif said. “That’s not always easy - especially at the World Championship when playoffs are still going - but when it’s possible, we have to make it happen.”
After a year and a half of discussions with the NHL and NHLPA, they did just that. Mission accomplished.
The men’s tournament will feature 12 teams, while the women’s event will include 10, and Tardif is particularly pleased that the host nation will be part of the action.
“It’s always important for the host country to play,” he said. “You see the impact it can have. China built hundreds of arenas ahead of their Olympics, and they’re still being used. In PyeongChang, it meant so much to the country just to have their team on the ice. Sometimes that participation is all it takes to push a nation’s hockey program forward.”
Milano will also mark the first time the Unified Rule Book is used with NHL players on a large international stage, a change Tardif sees as a win for everyone involved.
“This was created with leagues from around the world,” he explained. “It makes life easier for players and officials, and even allows us to use NHL referees without major adjustments. Plus, agreeing on the best rules for the game is a healthy process in itself.”
Bottom line: The puck is set to drop. The best players are back. And the future of international hockey looks bright.
“It’s our job to bring the best players to the biggest stage,” Tardif said. “That’s not always easy - especially at the World Championship when playoffs are still going - but when it’s possible, we have to make it happen.”
After a year and a half of discussions with the NHL and NHLPA, they did just that. Mission accomplished.
The men’s tournament will feature 12 teams, while the women’s event will include 10, and Tardif is particularly pleased that the host nation will be part of the action.
“It’s always important for the host country to play,” he said. “You see the impact it can have. China built hundreds of arenas ahead of their Olympics, and they’re still being used. In PyeongChang, it meant so much to the country just to have their team on the ice. Sometimes that participation is all it takes to push a nation’s hockey program forward.”
Milano will also mark the first time the Unified Rule Book is used with NHL players on a large international stage, a change Tardif sees as a win for everyone involved.
“This was created with leagues from around the world,” he explained. “It makes life easier for players and officials, and even allows us to use NHL referees without major adjustments. Plus, agreeing on the best rules for the game is a healthy process in itself.”
Bottom line: The puck is set to drop. The best players are back. And the future of international hockey looks bright.