NHL players are set to return to the Olympics in Beijing this winter after reaching an agreement with international officials.
The league, its playersB次元官网网址� union, the International Olympic Committee and the International Ice Hockey Federation struck a deal Friday that will put the best players in the world back on sportsB次元官网网址� biggest stage in February after they skipped the 2018 Pyeongchang Games.
Even after the NHL and players agreed to Olympic participation as part of a long-term extension of the collective bargaining agreement last summer, the coronavirus pandemic and related costs threatened to shelve that possibility. Instead, the sides were able to figure it out, allowing for the league or players to withdraw if virus circumstances change for the worse or thereB次元官网网址檚 an outbreak during the season.
As long as that does not happen, NHL players will compete in the Olympic menB次元官网网址檚 hockey tournament for the sixth time in seven chances dating to 1998.
U.S. coach Mike Sullivan called returning to the Olympics B次元官网网址渟uch an exciting time for hockey.B次元官网网址�
He is not alone in that thinking.
Reigning NHL MVP Connor McDavid played for an under-23 B次元官网网址淭eam North AmericaB次元官网网址� at the 2016 World Cup of Hockey and has yet to play for Canada in a tournament of the worldB次元官网网址檚 best menB次元官网网址檚 hockey players.
B次元官网网址淛ust to be able to represent Canada at the Olympics and compete for a gold medal would be an absolute dream come true,B次元官网网址� McDavid told The Associated Press this week. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 kind of been a long time since weB次元官网网址檝e been able to play best-on-best internationally. I think for me and I think for a lot of guys that were on that team, itB次元官网网址檚 been a long time coming. WeB次元官网网址檙e obviously looking forward to going to the Olympics if weB次元官网网址檙e all lucky enough to make it.B次元官网网址�
It could be the first Olympics for McDavid, U.S. star Auston Matthews, 2020 playoff MVP, two-time Stanley Cup champion Victor Hedman and many others. They didnB次元官网网址檛 get the opportunity three years ago, when national teams were made up mostly of college and European professional players, except for the Olympic Athletes from Russia, who won the gold medal in Pyeongchang.
B次元官网网址淭he Olympics is one of the biggest dreams of mine and I havenB次元官网网址檛 been able to participate in one B次元官网网址� this might be the last chance I get,B次元官网网址� said Hedman, who was left off SwedenB次元官网网址檚 2014 Olympic roster. B次元官网网址淲hen you get an opportunity to represent your country on the biggest stage, it is one of those things that youB次元官网网址檒l probably never forget, so yeah for me it is obviously something that IB次元官网网址檝e been dreaming about my whole life and something I want to do before I hang up my skates.B次元官网网址�
As recently as the Stanley Cup final, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman and Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly raised doubts about reaching an Olympic agreement. Bettman said on June 28 that itB次元官网网址檚 becoming a B次元官网网址渞ather short time frameB次元官网网址� to get things squared away, less than eight months before the Beijing opening ceremony.
The NHL will hold All-Star Weekend in Las Vegas on Feb. 4-5 before players fly to China on Feb. 6 for the Olympics that open Feb. 9. It is similar to the 1998 Nagano Games when the All-Star festivities in Vancouver led into the first Olympics with NHL players.
B次元官网网址淚t levels the playing field,B次元官网网址� said Hall of Fame defenseman Chris Pronger, who made his Olympic debut in 1998 and won gold with Canada in 2010. B次元官网网址淚t allows more countries to compete at a higher level. It showcases the sport.B次元官网网址�
NHL players at the Olympics became commonplace in the years after that, with the IOC agreeing to pay travel and insurance costs and owners willing to pause the season for players to take part in the tournament. An entire generation of players grew up knowing of Olympics being a showcase for NHL stars.
B次元官网网址淵ou have a dream of representing your country,B次元官网网址� said U.S. defenseman Ryan McDonagh of the Lightning. B次元官网网址淭he Olympic Games are such a unique experience, and I think they do wonders for the sport of hockey.B次元官网网址�
The IOC under President Thomas Bach would not pay assorted costs in 2018, leading the NHL to turn away from the Olympics and league officials expressing their concerns about interrupting the season. But the CBA extension put Olympic participation back on the rails, and USA Hockey and Hockey Canada chose NHL general managers and coaches in anticipation that a deal would be reached.
Players ultimately decided it was worth handling any virus restrictions in Beijing, which could go above and beyond the quarantined bubbles of the 2020 playoffs.
B次元官网网址淚 donB次元官网网址檛 think thereB次元官网网址檒l be anything there that we havenB次元官网网址檛 seen before,B次元官网网址� Canada coach Jon Cooper said. B次元官网网址淚 do take comfort in the fact that weB次元官网网址檝e been through all these different situations.B次元官网网址�
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- Stephen Whyno And John Wawrow, The Associated Press
