As the Buffalo Sabres and Tampa Bay Lightning face off internationally with the Global Series in Sweden this weekend, NHL commi sioner Gary Bettman took the time to addre s the league's future participation in the Olympics.
Bettman said during that he and NHLPA executive Don Fehrmet with Ren Fasel, the executive director of theInternational Ice Hockey Federation, about NHL playersskating in the Olympics. He characterized the meeting as "more a philosophical and procedural discu sion" than decisiveon the NHL's participation in the 2022 Winter Olympic Gamesin Beijing, and also said there was "no news to report" on the matter.
I dont want to sound like a broken record on the subject, but I think going to the Olympics is a challenge for us, Bettmansaid,. I know the players love representing their countries, I know that the players like going, I know that the players that dont go like having a break in the middle of the season. But from our standpoint, we have found going to the Olympics to be incredibly disruptive to our season.
SN MAILBAG:
The 2018 Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, were the first Olympic games to not feature NHL playerssince the league's best first skated atNagano 1998. That year, the NHL to accommodate the players competing. Since the Winter Olympics always fall in the middle of the regular season, that practice has remained in each tournament since, causing worry about revenue and potential injury to star players for individualteam owners.
The International Olympic Committee of travel, insurance and accommodations for NHL players ahead of the 2018 games a sticking point in the league's decision not to allow its players to compete.
Ovechkin on the Olympics:
Matthew Paras (@Matthew_Paras)
According to , the IOC does not cover these costs for other profe sional sports leagues such as the NBA. The IIHF then reportedly offered to pay up to $20 million for the NHL players' costs and insurance, but the NHL still declined and kept its players home. Insurance for NHL players at the 2014 games in Sochi, Ru sia, cost the IOC $7 million, .
In Stockholm, Bettman lamented that the IOC would not evenallow the leagueto promote its own participation in the Olympics as just another facet of the problem.
Its a complicated i sue," he told reporters, ."Its something that the players a sociation continues to raise with us. Its something that Rene Fasel and the IIHF continues to raise with us. But as I said previously, theres nothing new to report in that regard because for us, at best, its a mixed bag. And again, I think it has some pretty material downsides in terms of what happens to our season.
Bettman said during that he and NHLPA executive Don Fehrmet with Ren Fasel, the executive director of theInternational Ice Hockey Federation, about NHL playersskating in the Olympics. He characterized the meeting as "more a philosophical and procedural discu sion" than decisiveon the NHL's participation in the 2022 Winter Olympic Gamesin Beijing, and also said there was "no news to report" on the matter.
I dont want to sound like a broken record on the subject, but I think going to the Olympics is a challenge for us, Bettmansaid,. I know the players love representing their countries, I know that the players like going, I know that the players that dont go like having a break in the middle of the season. But from our standpoint, we have found going to the Olympics to be incredibly disruptive to our season.
SN MAILBAG:
The 2018 Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, were the first Olympic games to not feature NHL playerssince the league's best first skated atNagano 1998. That year, the NHL to accommodate the players competing. Since the Winter Olympics always fall in the middle of the regular season, that practice has remained in each tournament since, causing worry about revenue and potential injury to star players for individualteam owners.
The International Olympic Committee of travel, insurance and accommodations for NHL players ahead of the 2018 games a sticking point in the league's decision not to allow its players to compete.
Ovechkin on the Olympics:
Matthew Paras (@Matthew_Paras)
According to , the IOC does not cover these costs for other profe sional sports leagues such as the NBA. The IIHF then reportedly offered to pay up to $20 million for the NHL players' costs and insurance, but the NHL still declined and kept its players home. Insurance for NHL players at the 2014 games in Sochi, Ru sia, cost the IOC $7 million, .
In Stockholm, Bettman lamented that the IOC would not evenallow the leagueto promote its own participation in the Olympics as just another facet of the problem.
Its a complicated i sue," he told reporters, ."Its something that the players a sociation continues to raise with us. Its something that Rene Fasel and the IIHF continues to raise with us. But as I said previously, theres nothing new to report in that regard because for us, at best, its a mixed bag. And again, I think it has some pretty material downsides in terms of what happens to our season.