Quick Facts Ice hockey at the XXIV Olympic Winter Games, Venues ...

Ice hockey at the XXIV Olympic Winter Games
Hockey pictogram
Venues	Beijing National Indoor Stadium Wukesong Arena
Dates	3–20 February
No. of events	2 (1 men and 1 women)
Competitors	530 from 13 nations
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The ice hockey competitions of the 2022 Winter Olympics was played at two venues located in Beijing. The Beijing National Indoor Stadium, which seats 18,000, is located at Olympic Green area. The Wukesong Arena, seating 10,000, was also used, with both arenas having been constructed for the 2008 Summer Olympics.

The men's tournament had 12 teams competing, and the women's tournament 10 for the first time (an increase of two from 2018).^[1][2] Two events were contested, one each for men and women.^[3]

The tournament featured twelve countries, eight qualifying through the IIHF World Ranking, the host China, and three through qualifying tournaments. The format remained the same as the previous three Olympics; three groups of four compete in three games to determine seeding, each played every other team in their group, followed by four rounds of elimination games. Each group winner received a bye into the second round, along with the highest ranked of the remaining teams. The remaining eight teams played an eliminating qualification game to advance to the quarter-final round. Each quarter-final winner advanced to the semi-finals with the winners playing for the gold medal and the losers playing for the bronze. With the cancellation of the 2020 Men's Ice Hockey World Championships, the groups were established on 24 April 2020, using the IIHF world rankings where seeding counted for the ranking points in unplayed tournaments.^[4][5][6]

On 10 July 2020, the National Hockey League Players' Association (NHLPA) and National Hockey League agreed to a renewed collective bargaining agreement, which includes a provision opening the possibility for the NHL to explore participation at the 2022 and 2026 Winter Olympics.^[7] On 22 July 2021, the NHL released a 2021–22 schedule that included an Olympic break, but the league also announced that a final agreement had not yet been reached regarding Olympic participation of NHL players in 2022.^[8] On 3 September 2021, an agreement was made to allow NHL players to compete.^[9]

On 22 December 2021, the NHL and the NHLPA announced that NHL players would not be participating in the men's ice hockey tournament at the 2022 Games. COVID-19 has forced a change in the NHL schedule. With approximately 50 games postponed, the NHL was to use the Olympic break to make up its own postponed games rather than have the players compete in the Olympics.^[10]

For the first time ten countries competed in the women's tournament, six qualifying through the IIHF World Ranking, the host China, and three through qualifying tournaments held in November 2021.^[12] The qualification groups and schedule will be established at the 2020 IIHF Annual Congress.