costello and hockey canada president bill hay, negotiated a merger between the two organizations in 1994, under the canadian hockey association name, which has operated as hockey canada since 1998. combining the two groups allowed for the profits from hockey canada events such as the canada cup, and the summit series, to be used at the grassroots level, and it also allowed access by professionals in the nhl to international competitions such as the ice hockey world championships, and eventually the olympics.