NHL players participated in the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, Canada, following the successful participation of NHL players at the ’98 Olympics in Nagano, Japan; the ’02 Olympics in Salt Lake City, USA; and the ’06 Games in Turin, Italy. In all, 145 NHLers took part in the ice hockey competition in Vancouver, representing each of the 12 competing countries (Belarus, Canada, Czech Republic, Finland, Germany, Norway, Latvia, Russia, Slovakia, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United States). In a thrilling gold medal game, Canada defeated the United States in sudden-death overtime to capture the gold medal.

The NHLPA and its members continue to play a significant role in the staging of major hockey events on an annual basis. The IIHF World Championships are a prime example of the dedication and involvement that the NHLPA affords the international game. Each spring, many NHLPA members make up the bulk of many of the rosters of the national teams that compete in the IIHF World Championships. The skill and passion to perform for their home nations displayed by the players adds a level of excitement and intrigue that fuels the interest in the tournament. Finland defeated Sweden by a score of 6-1 to capture top honours in the 2011 tournament.

The World Cup of Hockey was first introduced to the world in 1996 as the only ‘best on best’ hockey tournament of its kind. A joint effort by the NHLPA and the NHL, the World Cup has become a premiere event on the international hockey calendar. Using North American sized rinks, the tournament is made up of teams from around the globe and features only the best players in the world, many of whom are NHLPA members.

The first incarnation of the World Cup of Hockey took place in 1996 and saw the United States defeat Canada to capture the Cup. The tournament returned in 2004 and was won by Canada on home ice in Toronto as they defeated Finland in a hard-fought final.

The NHLPA has long been instrumental in the worldwide growth of hockey. This started in 1972 with the staging of an eight-game showdown between Canada and the Soviet Union, a series that went to the wire, with Canada edging out the Soviets with a 4-3-1 record. Featuring NHL players in international competition for the first time ever, the series was an epic battle between the two dominant hockey nations at the time. The Canadian team was formed entirely of members of the NHLPA and laid the foundation for future tournaments involving the participation of the NHLPA and its members.

Following the inaugural Summit Series in 1972, an international tournament was established to allow the hockey playing nations of the world a chance to assemble their best players and compete against one another for international hockey supremacy. The tournament was named the Canada Cup and took place in Canada in 1976, 1981, 1984, 1987 and 1991. The tournament was dominated by Team Canada who won the event every year except 1981, when the Soviet Union captured top honours. The Canada Cup helped cement the international hockey legacies of players like Gretzky, Lemieux, Coffey and Larmer.

In 1979, the NHL hosted a Challenge Series in New York City between a team of NHL all-stars and the Soviet Red Army team. The Soviet team would capture the series, two games to one. Then, in1987, the Rendez-Vous series was held in Quebec City, once again between NHL All-Stars and the Soviet Red Army team. The two game series was split at a game a piece. Between 1975 and 1991, members of the NHLPA and various Soviet teams also squared off in several mid-season exhibition games.