NHL and NHLPA abandon possibility of World Cup in 2020

The NHL and NHLPA have abandoned the possibility of hosting a World Cup of Hockey in 2020, the league announced Wednesday.

In October, deputy commissioner Bill Daly said the league hoped to host the tournament in the fall of 2020, but the running of the event was contingent upon neither the NHL or NHLPA exercising its right to terminate the current collective bargaining agreement next year - which is still unclear.

After debuting in 1996 and a second running in 2004, the NHL brought back the World Cup in 2016. While Canada winning was a predictable outcome, the tournament was considered a tremendous success thanks in large part to the infusion of Team North America - the under-23 squad captained by Connor McDavid that dazzled with some of the most exciting hockey the international stage has ever seen.

The 2016 World Cup also represented the most recent best-on-best tournament, and with 2020 now off the table, the future international calendar is largely unclear with labor negotiations looming.