The big boys are coming to town.

While Edmonton has played host to scads of world U20 junior tournaments the past half dozen years at Rogers Place, along with the Hlinka-Gretzky Cup U18 events in the summer, all best on best teenager showcases, now we’re getting the real deal.

The fourth World Cup of Hockey will be here and in Calgary in February 2028.

Calgary’s getting more games than Edmonton (seven) but not the bang-for-the-buck matchups.

Calgary’s getting six round-robin and one elimination game (second vs third seed in their as of now unnamed pool) at their brand-new 18,400-seat Scotia Place which is schedule to open in the fall of 2027, across the Saddledome.

But with the NHL cognizant of the loud and proud Stanley Cup finals the past two springs with the Oilers, filling the rink, paying the freight no matter how expensive the ticket prices, we’re getting the two semi-final games of the World Cup and the final in the eight-team tournament.

There will also be a four-team pool in Prague (no teams announced) with the same round robin format and a playoff game as in Calgary.

“It’s going to be exciting… it’ll be nice to play in Alberta, we know how passionate the fans are here. We see it first-hand most nights and certainly in the spring,” said Oilers captain Connor McDavid, digesting the 13-day World Cup in 2028.

“After 4Nations (2025), then the Olympics this year (February), this will be another opportunity (best on best),” said McDavid.

The 02 rink in Prague will also be NHL dimensions and the entire tournament will be under NHL rules, with their officiating staff, and if OT it’ll be five-on-five for as long as it takes for a goal, not 3 on 3 like in the just finished Olympics in Milan with USA beating Canada in the final.

The game plan is to have a World Cup-Olympic rotation. So, World Cup in 2028, the Winter  Olympics in France in 2030, then another World Cup in 2032.

“We’re going to be in extraordinarily strong, state-of-the-art buildings for all of it (tournament), so when you put the whole package together, particularly the Alberta component, it was a bid that really stood out,” said NHL commissioner Gary Bettman, well aware of how Rogers Place rocks in the playoffs.

“We’ve spent a few Junes in Edmonton (Cup finals) recently,” he said.

While the World Cup tournament will be 13 days, the NHL could shut down for an additional four days in February, 2028, so similar to this year’s Olympic break.

Countries to be determined

There’s been no naming of the eight 2028 countries yet or what teams are in what round-robin pools but Canada, USA, Sweden, Finland, Czechia and Switzerland seem automatic invites. That would leave Germany, Slovakia and Russia, if invited back in, after being suspended by the IIHF from international competitions because of the war in Ukraine.

The NHL and the NHLPA will be running the tournament. The big question, of course, is whether the Russians will be involved in two years time.

“We’ll see how things develop. Time will tell,” Bettman said when asked about the Russians getting back on the world stage.

It’s the first time for the World Cup in Canada, outside the East. The first one was in 1996 in Montreal, the 2004 and 2016 tournaments were in Toronto. The last time there was a best-on-best men’s tournament with games in Alberta was in the fall of 1984 when it was called the Canada Cup.

That was when current Oiler assistant coach Paul Coffey broke up that 2-on-1 break in OT against the Soviets in the semi-final at the Saddledome in Calgary with a great stick check. Islander winger Mike Bossy then tipped home Coffey’s shot for the winner, before Team Canada went on to beat Sweden in the best-of-three final at Northlands Coliseum.

In 2028, McDavid could have the C on his chest for Team Canada because Sidney Crosby who was captain in Milan until injuring his knee, will be 40 then. And maybe he’ll also have Oilers teammate, defenceman Evan Bouchard, the highest-scoring D man in the league, after they took a pass on naming Bouchard to the 2026 Olympic team.

Oilers aplenty

Possibly, Oilers forward Kasperi Kapanen on the Finnish team, and Oilers winger Vasily Podkolzin if the Russians are allowed back and the war with Ukraine is mercifully over.

Two other Oilers, defenceman Mattias Ekholm and Canadian winger Zach Hyman would have to be considered too for 2028, but their birth certificates may say otherwise. Ekholm turns 36 in May. Hyman 34 in June.

They may be too old.

McDavid played in the 2016 World Cup (Canada, USA, Swedes, Finns, Czechs and Russians) as a 19-year-old second-year NHLer on an exciting Team North America collection — an under 23 team with then-Oilers coach Todd McLellan behind the bench. They were a highlight package with kids Nate MacKinnon, Auston Matthews, Jack Eichel and Oilers forward Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. There was also a Team Europe in that tournament, coached by one-time Oilers bench boss Ralph Krueger that the German-born Oilers centre Leon Draisaitl was on, then tutored by Slovenian Anze Kopitar.

We won’t be seeing those grab-bag fun teams in 2028 though so no defenceman Matthew Schaefer (Islanders) or Macklin Celebrini (San Jose) on a U23 North American team. Schaefer, the slam-dunk NHL rookie of the year, will almost surely be on Canada’s team in two years time, though. And the dynamic Sharks centre Celebrini could well be back on McDavid’s Canadian line as he was in the Olympics in Milan.

No hybrid teams, please

So no Young Stars Part 11 in Alberta?

“No, I don’t think so,” said McDavid.

That was a one-off.

As for Draisaitl, we don’t know if Germany will be one of the eight teams, or not. It would be a shame if No. 29 couldn’t possibly play games in Alberta.

Celebrini, in town to play the Oilers Tuesday, opened McDavid’s eyes wide in Milan. Celebrini, who has 95 Sharks’ points (35 goals), more than double the next closest San Jose player Will Smith (45), was out-of-this-world in Milan.

Celebrini and McDavid were magic in Milan but they’ll be rivals Tuesday, the first time they’ve seen each other since the Olympics.

“Getting to know him there, he’s a great player and a great kid. Super, super skilled,” said No. 97. “He does everything right, really enjoyed my time with him.”

“That being said, this is a big game for us tomorrow (Tuesday). We’ve got to find a way to limit him and his team…that’s a highly skilled team that scores lots of goals,” said McDavid, with the Oilers at 76 points, third in the Pacific behind Anaheim (77) and Vegas (76) and the young Sharks at 70 points.

Celebrini has ‘hunger’

What did McDavid find out about Celebrini when he was an Olympic linemate every game, different from being an opponent every now and then? His competitiveness was off-the-charts, and his hockey IQ. He seamlessly was able to play with McDavid and MacKinnon, and contribute. He was the farthest thing from a passenger.

“He’s got a hunger, for sure,” said McDavid.

“He’s like Savvy (Matt Savoie) on our team… a dog on a bone, getting the puck back, great on the forecheck, really good along the wall, keeps a ton of plays alive,” said McDavid. “And he shoots it well, he can score from distance. That’s impressive.”

While McDavid’s a given for 2028, Bouchard should be there, too. Team Canada definitely could have used him as a puck-mover in Milan, another PP point weapon especially when Winnipeg’s Josh Morrissey got hurt early on.

“Every time there’s an event like this, you look forward to it,” said Bouchard, who has 77 points.

“I’ve never played in one of these, but having a tournament in the middle of the season, certainly ramps up the intensity. I think it’s a good concept. Some guys might want the rest but for other guys it gets you into the feel of higher level hockey.”

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