The International Ice Hockey Federation (FIHG) is preparing a proposal to add three-on-three hockey to the Winter Olympics as early as 2030, in the French Alps.
This proposal follows the same expansion that basketball has seen during the last two Summer Games.
The sport’s world governing body must submit its request for interest to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) by January and submit the first questionnaire by March 30.
The IOC’s decision is expected to be made by the end of next year.
Men’s and women’s three-on-three basketball debuted in Tokyo in 2021, and it took place this year in Paris. It should be an event with the possibility of obtaining medals in Los Angeles, in 2028.
The FIHG, which has spent several years experimenting with three-on-three tournaments, says doing the same with hockey could allow 240 more players to compete in the Olympics.
Three-on-three hockey could offer a place for amateurs and other professionals from around the world. NHL players will return to the Olympics after being absent in 2018 and 2022.
