The 1972 Summit Series was a historic eight-game hockey tournament held in September 1972 between Canada and the Soviet Union. This intensely fought series, played amidst the Cold War's political tensions, saw Canada dramatically win with Paul Henderson's iconic last-minute goal in the deciding eighth game of the series in Moscow. The series had a profound impact on international hockey, boosting Canada's national pride and prompting North American teams to adopt elements of the Soviet's disciplined training methods and strategies.

The Canada Cup was inaugurated in 1976, becoming the first international tournament that gave NHL players a chance to represent their countries. Created by the NHL, the NHLPA and Hockey Canada the tournament was held five times, with Canada victorious on four occasions and the Soviet Union winning once. The Canada Cup was instrumental in opening the door for players to participate in World Championships and Winter Olympic Games.

In 1996 the World Cup of Hockey replaced the Canada Cup with subsequent editions held in 2004 and 2016. The United States won the inaugural event in 1996, while Canada took home the championship in both 2004 and 2016. The 2016 tournament notably introduced all-star style teams, featuring Team Europe (comprised of players from European nations not already represented in the tournament) and Team North America (comprised of players age 23 or younger from Canada and the United States).

The NHL's international presence dates to 1938, when the Detroit Red Wings and Montreal Canadiens played a series of exhibition games in Europe. This was the beginning of a tradition of internationally hosted NHL games, including the NHL's first regular-season games played outside of North America in Japan in 1997. The NHL Global Series has continued these efforts, regularly sending NHL teams to various European cities, as well as Asia and Australia, to play regular-season games and give players the chance to compete in front of their home fans.

The 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano marked the first year of NHL player participation at the Games, with the Czech Republic taking home the gold medal. At the 2002 Salt Lake City Games, Canada ended a significant Olympic drought by claiming the gold medal. Four years later in Turin, Sweden earned the gold medal in a final against Scandinavian rival Finland. In 2010, the Vancouver Games culminated in a dramatic gold medal game with the host nation, Canada, securing the championship in overtime against the United States. Canada successfully defended its gold medal at the 2014 Sochi Olympics, securing back-to-back gold medals.