Ice hockey is an Olympic sport played by men’s and women’s teams. Men’s ice hockey made its Olympic debut in 1920 in Antwerp, Belgium, while women first competed in the sport in 1998 at Nagano, Japan. Participating teams consisted mostly, if not completely, of amateur players. However, in 1995 an agreement between governing bodies and player associations allowed professional athletes to compete at the Olympics, and National Hockey League players participated in the Olympics from 1998 through 2014.
In 2024 NHL and other officials announced that NHL players are again eligible to participate in the 2026 and 2030 Olympics. Players in the Professional Women’s Hockey League can also compete in the Olympics.
