Overview
Twelve men's and ten women's teams every four years — and, from 2026, NHL players back on the ice.
Ice hockey has been on the Olympic programme since 1920 for men and 1998 for women. Twelve men's teams and ten women's contest the tournaments, and for most hockey nations Olympic gold is the sport's highest honour.
NHL players took part from 1998 to 2014, were absent in 2018 and 2022, and returned for the Milano-Cortina Games in February 2026. The women's tournament has been dominated by Canada and the United States, who have met in every final but one.
Season Format
Recent Champions
Most recent first. Seasons still in progress are marked.
History
The 1920 tournament in Antwerp was played at the Summer Games; hockey moved to the Winter Olympics from 1924. Canada won six of the first seven titles, then the Soviet Union won seven of nine between 1956 and 1988.
Two games define the tournament's place in the sport: the 1980 Miracle on Ice, in which a United States team of college players beat the Soviet Union at Lake Placid, and the 2002 final in which Canada won its first gold in fifty years. NHL participation returned in 2026 after a twelve-year absence.
Governance
The tournament is run by the IIHF under the authority of the International Olympic Committee.