The NHL wants the 2024 World Cup in Prague. The union is against, they are afraid of tickets to the World Cup
The NHL leadership would like to hold one group of the Hockey World Cup in February 2024 in Prague. However, according to the iDNES.cz server, the Czech Ice Hockey Association does not agree with this, because in the same year the Czech Republic is to host the World Cup in May.
“It would certainly not be good for us if there were x NHL games here a few months before the championships. The Czech market is not so rich that people pay so much money for expensive tickets for both events. That is the main problem, “said Secretary General Martin Urban iDNES.cz server.
“Therefore, the executive committee asked me to write an official letter to the IIHF that the union does not agree that the tournament in 2024 should take place in Prague. Respectively, in general, not to be in a country that hosts the World Cup the same year, “said Urban.
The server information was also confirmed by Petr Bříza, vice-president of the IIHF international federation, to which the Czech union turned. “We are in intensive contact with the NHL and the NHLPA and are negotiating,” Bříza said.
“I don’t mean that the NHL can do whatever it wants, but we wouldn’t organize it. They come up with something, set the conditions and ask, “Do you want to?” Urban said.
The World Cup was produced after eight years, the last time it was played in 2016 in Toronto. In 2004, it took place in six countries, including the Czech Republic, when Prague hosted a domestic selection match with Germany.