NHL and Serie A team up ahead of 2026 Winter Olympics
The NHL is joining forces with Italian football’s Serie A to cross-promote ahead of next year’s Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina.
The National Hockey League (NHL), National Hockey League Players’ Association (NHLPA) and Serie A have agreed a global content partnership around the NHL’s 2025 European Player Media Tour next month.
This year, the annual event to promote the upcoming NHL season will take place in Italy on 22 August, a day before the start of the 2025-26 Serie A season.
The organisers have called the partnership the “first-of-its-kind collaboration between a North American sports league and a European soccer league”.
NHL players at the San Siro Stadium
As part of the events, NHL players will visit the training grounds of several Lega Serie A teams and attend AC Milan’s season opener against Cremonese at the San Siro Stadium.
CEO and Managing Director of Lega Serie A USA Andy Mitche said: “This collaboration with the NHL and the NHLPA allows us to engage with a global audience in new and exciting ways while celebrating the anticipation surrounding the Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics.
“By bringing Lega Serie A legends and NHL stars together, we aim to create a synergy that showcases the best of each league, creating an unforgettable experience for fans on both sides of the Atlantic.”
The move comes as 2026 marks the return of NHL players to the Winter Olympics for the first time since Sochi 2014.
NHL Business President Keith Wachtel added: “As a global sport with players from 21 countries, the NHL is thrilled to collaborate with Lega Serie A to create unique content that celebrates the intersection of hockey and soccer.
“With the Winter Olympics on the horizon, Milan will serve as a focal point for sports fans around the world, so we are delighted to take the opportunity to promote our top hockey players in the environments of the biggest sport in Italy.
“We look forward to working with Lega Serie A to deliver world-class events highlighting both leagues’ history, heritage, and shared culture.”