Come 2028, the centres of the hockey world will be Calgary, Edmonton and… Prague.

Along with their cross-continent counterpart, Calgary and Edmonton will play host to the 2028 World Cup of Hockey, an eight-team, best-on-best style tournament. During February 2028, Calgary will host six round-robin games and one elimination game at the highly anticipated Scotia Place, just months after the building opens. Edmonton will also host opening round matchups, along with the final and semi-final games.

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, who admitted it was nice to see Calgary and Edmonton working together for once, said the event will showcase everything the province has to offer.

“It is no secret that Albertans are some of the most passionate and boisterous hockey fans on Earth. Albertans live and breathe hockey, with two NHL teams who call our province home, and have world-class venues like Edmonton’s Ice District and Calgary’s new arena, Scotia Place and entertainment district,” she said.

“This tournament will be an Alberta celebration, one that extends beyond Calgary and Edmonton. Additional venues and entertainers from across Alberta will be invited to join in on related initiatives such as the IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship and the Alberta community Fan Fest program and also indigenous cultural programming.”

The impact of the World Cup will echo far beyond the rink, Smith said, and is expected to generate more than $370 million in revenue, support over 43,000 jobs, and deliver nearly 172,000 hotel night stays.

“This will bring Alberta well on its way to meeting our ambitious goal of $25 billion in annual visitor spending and with every dollar spent, local economies grow, small businesses thrive and our communities prosper,” she said.

“This will be Alberta’s time to shine right alongside the action on ice.”

NHL commissioner visited Calgary, Mayor Farkas

Earlier this month, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman toured the Scotia Place build site and attended a Flames’ game alongside Calgary Mayor Jeromy Farkas.

Before the official announcement, Farkas said it would make a lot of sense to host the Cup during the new arena’s debut season, but there will be plenty of opportunities to host events.

“There’s a huge business case for investing here in Calgary and we know that it’s not just the World Cup of Hockey. Of course, I support the bid, but it’s also other events that we’re going to be much more competitive in the future,” he said.

“I’m going to be continuing to make that pitch.”

Alisha Reynolds, president and CEO, Tourism Calgary, said that events like the World Cup don’t come around often, and when they do, you have to jump on the opportunity to host.

“Next to the Olympics, the World Cup of Hockey, stands among the most prestigious international sporting events a city can host. Bringing this tournament to Alberta is an incredible opportunity to showcase our province to the world, and it’s the culmination of months of work by partners across Alberta that saw our bid selected ahead of all other North American destinations,” she said.

“The tournament will take place during the winter months, helping us continue to grow tourism in Calgary across all seasons.”

Beyond the tangible positives, events like this create moments, Reynolds said.

“Kids sitting on the edge of their couch, fans on the edge of their seats, where Calgary fans cheering the loudest, moments like this help our communities come together, where fans from around the world get to experience our legendary Alberta hospitality, and where Calgarians get to welcome the world in the way we know how best, with white hats and with warm Western hospitality,” she said.

Scotia Place will be ready: Officials guarantee the building’s timeline

Robert Hayes, president and CEO, Calgary Sports and Entertainment Corporation (CSEC), said that in preparation for the bid, he toured Scotia Place three times in the last month and is certain the building will not be delayed.

Scotia Place is the centrepiece of Calgary’s $1.25 billion investment into the Victoria Park area, and the burgeoning Culture and Entertainment District just outside the city’s downtown core.

“It is very on time. There should be no concerns whatsoever, and the NHL sees it from that perspective as well,” he said.

Once the Flames’ new home is ready, the deconstruction of the Saddledome will not be up to CSEC, Hayes said.

“The Saddledome will be owned by the city once we vacate it; you’d have to talk to them for that.”

Though many numbers are not yet available, the Government of Canada has committed to an $8 million funding envelope, which will be used for the hosting efforts. 

Smith said this is the first time her government has participated in this kind of bid process and will be contributing up to $15 million, and will continue working on the best destination marketing to support the event.