Just like TT reported on Wednesday, the International Ice Hockey Federation, IIHF, is not on board.
The IIHF believes that February is the wrong time, as several leagues would then have to interrupt their league games.
Sweden does not need to pause the SHL, as around 100 Swedish players are in the NHL.
"Receiving bids"
The Swedish Ice Hockey Association's chairman Anders Larsson, who also sits on the IIHF board, told TT that Sweden is on the NHL's side and will participate in the World Cup 2028. But he hopes that the NHL and IIHF can come to an agreement.
At a press conference before the Canada-Sweden match, the opening game of the Four Nations, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman opened up to the possibility that some of the matches may be played in Europe in 2028.
We will soon open a process where we receive bids from cities that are interested, also from Europe, he says.
In the World Cup 1996, one of the groups was played in Europe, including Stockholm, while the other was decided in North America.
The semifinals and final were then played in North America.
Positive to Russia
The World Cup has not been held since 2016, and the plan is for eight national teams to participate in 2028. There will be no European team or North American U23 national team as in 2016, but pure national teams.
NHL players will participate in the Olympic Games in Milan next year, after having been absent from the two previous games, 2018 and 2022.
The NHL and the NHLPA see a long-term plan with the Olympic Games and the World Cup alternating every other year.
About Russia's participation or non-participation in the World Cup 2028, the NHLPA's CEO Marty Walsh said:
We want Russia to participate, but it's a question that's bigger than ice hockey. It's about world politics. We'll see what happens until then.
The World Cup is an ice hockey tournament organized by the North American ice hockey league NHL and its player association NHLPA. It is played on NHL rinks with NHL rules.
When the tournament takes place in February 2028, it will be the fourth time, after the tournaments in 1996, 2004, and 2016. Unlike the World Championship (which is organized annually by the International Ice Hockey Federation IIHF), the idea is that the world's best players will participate (most of whom are in the NHL).
The plan is for the World Cup to be held every four years thereafter, and to alternate with the Winter Olympic Games, so that there will be a major international ice hockey tournament every other year.
The World Cup replaced the Canada Cup tournament, which was organized five times between 1976 and 1991.
