Ice hockey at the 2022 Winter Olympics

The tournament will feature 12 countries, 8 qualifying through the IIHF World Ranking, the host China, and 3 through qualifying tournaments. The format will remain the same as the previous three Olympics; three groups of four compete in three games to determine seeding, each play every other team in their group, followed by four rounds of elimination games. Each group winner receives a bye into the second round, along with the highest ranked of the remaining teams. The remaining eight teams play an eliminating qualification game to advance to the quarter-final round. Each quarter-final winner advanced to the semi-finals with the winners playing for the gold medal and the losers playing for the bronze. With the cancellation of the 2020 Men's Ice Hockey World Championships the groups were established on 24 April 2020, using the IIHF world rankings where seeding counted for the ranking points in unplayed tournaments.[2][3][4]

On 10 July 2020, the National Hockey League Players' Association (NHLPA) and National Hockey League agreed to a renewed collective bargaining agreement, which includes a provision opening the possibility for the NHL to explore participation at the 2022 and 2026 Winter Olympics.[5] On 22 July 2021, the NHL released a 2021–22 schedule that included an Olympic break, but the league also announced that a final agreement had not yet been reached regarding Olympic participation of NHL players in 2022.[6] On 3 September 2021, an agreement was made to allow NHL players to compete.[7]

For the first time ten nations will compete in the women's tournament, six qualifying through the IIHF World Ranking, the host China, and three through qualifying tournaments yet to be played.[8] The qualification groups and schedule will be established at the 2020 IIHF Annual Congress.

• QUALIFICATION SYSTEM FOR XXIV OLYMPIC WINTER GAMES