One of the biggest changes since NHLers were last on the Olympic stage 12 years ago is how the games will be called. Without much fanfare, the NHL and IIHF have spent the last five years or so diligently narrowing the gap between rulebooks. “The last time the NHL players were at the Olympics, the rulebooks of the IIHF and the National Hockey League were significantly different,’’ Scott Zelkin, head of officiating for the IIHF, said in an interview with The Athletic on Tuesday. “In the last handful of years, those two rulebooks have come to the point where they are almost identical,’’ added Zelkin, a former NHL referee from 1997 to 2003. “There are a few nuances that are different, and the fans may see some differences, but in general, the rulebooks now are really, really close.

Source: International New York Times February 15, 2026 14:52 UTC