Ice hockey at the 2018 Winter Olympics

Qualification was determined by the IIHF World Ranking following the 2015 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships.[8] The top eight teams in the World Ranking received automatic berths into the Olympics, the host received an automatic berth, and the remaining teams competed to qualify for the remaining three spots. In April 2014 René Fasel indicated that the Koreans would need a ranking of 18th or better[9] but in September of the same year the policy was apparently changed to guarantee the host a position.[10]

On 3 April 2017, the National Hockey League (NHL) announced that its players would not be made available for selection for the national teams in the 2018 Winter Olympics, marking the first time since 1998 that NHL players would be prohibited from participating in the Olympic men's ice hockey tournament. While it was "open to hearing from any of the other parties who might have an interest in the issue", the NHL "confirmed that it [had] no interest or intention of engaging in any discussion that might make Olympic participation more attractive to the Clubs".[11] The main disagreement between the NHL, IIHF, and IOC appears to have been over who would cover the cost of indemnifying the NHL players participating in the Games.[12] Even though the IOC had paid to insure NHL players for the 2014 Olympics in Sochi, at a cost of $14 million, the commission was unwilling to do so for Pyeongchang, due to concerns that this would set a precedent and other professional sports bodies might expect similar treatment.[13]

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman explained that another factor in the decision was the IOC's refusal to allow the NHL to promote its players' involvement in the Olympics. He noted that the NHL does not directly profit from their presence in the Olympics and that the IOC's ambush marketing rules make it difficult for the league to capitalize on its players' participation, adding that "in fact, we kind of disappear for two weeks because historically the IOC hasn't even let us join in promoting our participation in the Olympics".[12]

Following the decision to ban its players from selection for the national Olympic teams, the NHL secured the cooperation of the International Ice Hockey Federation and the IOC, who agreed to draw up a "blacklist" of players under NHL contract to help prevent national teams from nominating or accepting these players to their Olympic rosters.[14] Consequently, the league did not schedule a break in its 2017–18 season to accommodate the Olympics. The league was required to accommodate an extended midseason break anyway because of its all-star game and league-wide bye week; to prevent players from defying the ban, the NHL scheduled the all-star game (which it traditionally does not contest in Olympic years) and league-wide bye in January.[11]

The American Hockey League (AHL), a minor professional league that largely acts as a development league for the NHL, stated that it would allow its players to be loaned to national teams for the duration of the Olympics, although like the NHL, there would not be a break in the season for the Games. CBC Sports reported that AHL players under two-way contracts with NHL affiliates would still be prohibited from attending, but deputy commissioner Bill Daly initially denied the claim.[15][16] Two weeks later, Daly reversed his position and confirmed that AHL players on two-way contracts would in fact be prohibited from the Olympics.

In July, American television company NBC Sports announced that it would not air any NHL games during the Winter Olympics on any of its national networks. However, in January they added three NHL noon games on NBC.[17]

In contrast to the NHL, the vast majority of European leagues did include an Olympic break in their 2017–18 season: Russia-based KHL had a 33-day break;[18] Sweden-based SHL took a 14-day break;[19] Switzerland-based NL took 25 days;[20] German-based DEL included a 26-day break;[21] Czech Republic-based Extraliga took 18 days; and Slovakia-based Tipsport liga's break lasted for 14 days.[22] Conversely, Finland-based SM-liiga did not accommodate a break, but allowed its top players to leave the clubs and participate in the Olympic Games.[23]

Qualification was determined by the IIHF World Ranking following the 2016 IIHF Women's World Championship. The top five teams in the World Ranking received automatic berths into the Olympics. South Korea gained direct entry by being host and all other teams competed to qualify for the remaining two spots.[8]