The National Hockey League recently announced they will not be participating in the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea. They said they see no benefit in stopping their season for three weeks to allow players to attend the games. The players within the league were not happy about the decision. Connor Hughes, junior, said, “It’s stupid that they won’t let them go. It’s the biggest stage for hockey. It’s not just a game for players at that level; it’s also about playing for their country.”
When discussing whether or not they would stop the season, the International Ice Hockey Federation offered to pay for insurance and traveling costs of the players. However, the NHL decided the marketing opportunities weren’t good enough and refused. Their decision to continue the season during the Olympics is final, and they will not be discussing it further. Many players were disappointed in Gary Bettman, the commissioner of the NHL, for worrying more about the money he and the league could make rather than looking out for the players and the good of the sport.
Team owners agreed with the decision to continue the season during the Olympics because they were worried about player safety, but the teams may be allowed to let players attend the Olympics on a case by case basis. The NHL still hasn’t decided on whether or not they will allow this.
Until then, the United States, Canada, and any other countries that have players in the NHL will have to figure out who they will be sending to the Olympics. The NHL hasn’t stated if they will attend the 2022 Olympics in Beijing yet. Jordyn Haessler, senior, said, “The NHL is getting in the way of a worldwide sporting event that is the highest level of play for sports like hockey. I understand why they’re not stopping the season, but I think they should still give players an opportunity to go if they want to.”
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